Someone wants a table. Tonight. Saturday with friends. A quiet lunch after a meeting. They search for a restaurant near them, open your site, and decide in a few seconds whether they can book without calling three kitchens. Soft food photos and a buried phone number do not count. They open the next place that already says how to reserve.
A restaurant website is not a menu PDF for people who already know the door. It is the front desk when the line is busy.
That first screen has to answer:
- What kind of place this is — kitchen, price range, casual or evening — in the first sentence.
- Hours that match when people actually book, including the days you close.
- How to take a table: a number that works on a phone, a short form, or an online slot — whichever you really answer.
- Where you are, and whether parking, terrace, or a tram stop matters.
- A little proof you are open — this season’s plate, not a stock pasta bowl from another city.
You do not need a long story about every dish. You need a page that lets a hungry reader finish the booking without guessing.
If your current site still makes them hunt for that, write to hello@merkwell.com. Say what a first reservation must answer on the first screen. We can put the desk where they can find it.