A takeaway website has one job: get a hungry person from a Google search to ordering from you in under a minute. That means a menu with prices they can read on a phone, your number one tap away, today's opening hours, where you deliver, and allergen information before anyone orders. Everything else is decoration.
Most takeaway customers aren't browsing. They're on the sofa, phone in hand, deciding between you and the place down the road. Your site wins or loses that decision in a few seconds, so build it around the order, not around the design.
What does a takeaway website actually need to do?
Strip it back and there are six things a customer needs to find without scrolling around:
- Your menu, with prices. Every dish, every price, kept current.
- A way to order. A tap-to-call button at minimum, and an ordering link if you use one.
- Opening hours. Including separate delivery hours if they're different, and bank holiday changes.
- Where you deliver. Postcodes or a radius, plus minimum order and delivery charge.
- Allergen information. Before the order, as the law requires (more on that below).
- How to find you. Address, a map link for collection, and parking if it's tricky.
If a first-time visitor can't find all six on a phone in Hackney or Huddersfield within a few taps, the site isn't doing its job yet.
Why should your menu be text, not a PDF?
A PDF menu is the most common mistake on takeaway sites. It's slow to open on a phone, it's fiddly to zoom, and search engines don't read it as well as ordinary text. Squarespace's own help centre describes text menus as a better alternative to embedded PDFs because PDFs "aren't always as SEO-friendly as text directly on the page" (as of October 2026).
A text menu also means someone searching for "lamb bhuna near me" or "vegan pizza Leeds" can land on your page, because the words are actually there. Keep each dish name, a short description and the price on one line where you can.
How should customers order from your website?
You've got three honest options, and plenty of takeaways use more than one.
Phone orders. The simplest and cheapest. A big tap-to-call button at the top of every page means a customer can ring you in one tap. You pay no commission, only your card machine fee if they pay by card. The catch is you need someone free to answer during the rush.
Your own online ordering. Several tools add an ordering page to your website for a monthly fee instead of a commission. As of October 2026, Square Online's UK free plan has no monthly fee and charges 1.4% + 25p per UK card, and Flipdish lists a branded website with online ordering from £49 a month per site, billed annually (£69 billed monthly). Compare the full terms before you sign anything.
Links to the apps. Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats bring you customers who've never heard of you, and that's worth something. The commission is the cost of that introduction. The trick is to treat the apps as a shop window and your website as the place regulars come back to.
At Pop-Up we put tap-to-call on every page for exactly this reason, and we don't sell online ordering, so if you want it we'll point you to a tool that fits.
What do UK allergen rules mean for your website?
If you take orders online or by phone, the Food Standards Agency says you must give allergen information at two points: before the purchase is completed, and when the food is delivered. Before purchase, that can be in writing on your website or menu, or by phone.
The FSA's best practice guidance goes further: written allergen information on your own site should be on the main menu or no more than "one click away" with a clear link (as of October 2026). It also says you should keep another route, such as phone, for anyone who can't use the digital version.
In practice, that means:
- An allergen chart or per-dish allergen list linked from the menu page.
- A line on the menu telling customers to call if they have an allergy.
- Updating it the same day a recipe or supplier changes.
This is one place where a website genuinely protects you, because an out-of-date paper menu taped to the counter doesn't help someone ordering from home.
How does your website work with Google?
Most people find a takeaway on Google Maps or Search before they ever see a website. Your Google Business Profile and your website should point at each other and say the same thing.
Google lets you add a single menu link and up to 10 food ordering links to your profile (as of October 2026). Point the menu link at your website's menu page, and if you use your own ordering tool, add that as an ordering link and set it as your preferred one. Check your hours match on both, especially around Christmas and bank holidays.
What are the common takeaway website mistakes?
- Hiding the phone number in the footer or behind a contact form.
- Old prices. Nothing loses a regular faster than being charged more than the website said.
- No delivery area. Customers ring, get told you don't deliver to them, and don't try again.
- Slow pages. Huge photos and pop-ups make people give up on 4G.
- No way to update it. If changing a price means waiting a week for someone, it won't get changed.
How much does a takeaway website cost?
It ranges from a few pounds a month on a DIY builder to thousands for a custom build. We'll break down builders, freelancers, agencies and monthly plans properly in a separate guide. The short version: whatever you pay, budget for keeping the menu and hours current, because that's where most takeaway sites fall down.
Frequently asked questions
Does a takeaway need its own website if it's on Just Eat?
Yes, if you want regulars to order direct. The app listing helps new customers find you, but your own site is where you can show your number, take phone orders without commission and own the relationship.
Should my takeaway website take online orders?
Only if you can keep it running smoothly. Phone orders cost nothing extra. An ordering tool suits busy kitchens that can't answer every call, but it adds a monthly fee or card fees, so compare it with what you pay the apps now.
Do I have to show allergens on my takeaway website?
The FSA says allergen information must be available before an online or phone order is completed and again on delivery. Your website is the easiest place to provide the first part, ideally on the menu or one click from it.
What pages does a takeaway website need?
A home page with tap-to-call and today's hours, a menu page, and a find-us or delivery page. Many takeaways manage well with one long page plus the menu, as long as the menu is text and easy to read on a phone.
How do I get my takeaway website on Google Maps?
Set up and verify a Google Business Profile, add your website address, then add your menu link and any ordering links. Keep your hours and phone number identical on both.
If you'd like a takeaway website built and kept up to date for you, with your Google profile looked after and your number front and centre, see what each Pop-Up plan includes.