Separate the build from the running costs
The build pays for the agreed design and implementation work. The running costs keep the website available and cover whatever maintenance or support the plan actually includes. Neither label tells you the whole scope: a five-page site with one booking link is a different job from a restaurant group with ordering, vouchers and multiple locations.
Ask for each cost in writing. This makes it easier to compare a one-off quote with a subscription offer and to understand what happens after launch.
| Cost | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| Website build | Page count, menu size, design work, content editing, revisions and handover. |
| Hosting and care | Monthly or annual charge; backups, maintenance and update allowance. |
| Domain | Who owns it, where it is registered, and the renewal charge. |
| Booking provider | Subscription, booking, payment or messaging charges under your chosen plan. |
| Additional work | Extra pages, photography, copywriting, ordering and custom integrations. |
| Tax and payment terms | The full payable total, any applicable VAT and when each payment is due. |
A worked example: First Sitting’s £500 website
Our defined restaurant website package costs £500 for the build and £35 per month for hosting and care. Twelve months of care cost £420, giving a first-year base total of £920. That is the package calculation, not an estimate of the average UK market price.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Website build | £500 |
| Hosting and care: £35 × 12 months | £420 |
| First-year base total | £920 |
| Domain, booking provider, extras and any applicable VAT | Confirmed separately in the written quote |
The build is split into £250 to get started and £250 on approval, before launch. At the current monthly rate, another twelve months of care would cost £420. Monthly care has 30 days’ cancellation notice; what you receive at handover and how the site is moved are explained before work begins.
This calculation assumes the agreed five-page package, one menu of up to 60 items and one supported booking integration or request form. It does not assume a free domain, a free booking provider or unlimited changes.
What changes the size of the project?
Start with the pages and functions guests need. A homepage, menu, about page, reservations page and contact page can suit one restaurant. A separate private-dining page, event calendar or second location may change the scope. A large menu, several menus with different rules, or a site that needs multiple languages takes more work than a short, clearly supplied menu.
Integrations also vary. Linking to an existing booking page is not the same as building a custom availability engine. Online ordering, gift vouchers, deposits and CRM connections introduce their own provider settings, testing and costs. Agree which parts the designer will handle and which belong to the provider.
At First Sitting, additional standard pages are £75 each and other agreed work is £50 per hour. Complex functionality, substantial copywriting and photography need a separate quote. We agree extras before starting rather than treating the package as unlimited.
What should a care plan include?
A maintenance label is only useful when it describes what happens in practice. Ask who handles hosting and SSL, how backups are managed, what routine maintenance covers and how content changes are requested. Check whether the quoted fee includes a fixed amount of update time or whether every change is billed separately.
Our £35 monthly care includes hosting, SSL, backups, routine maintenance and up to 20 minutes of small content updates. Unused time does not roll over. A full menu replacement or larger change may exceed that allowance, so it is quoted before work begins.
Also ask what happens if you leave. Ownership of the domain, content and website files should be clear, along with any third-party licences and the work needed to move hosting. Understanding that arrangement matters as much as the headline monthly fee.
Six questions to ask before accepting a quote
Look at examples of the actual work as well as the price. Where a studio shows fictional concepts, treat them as a demonstration of design and functionality, not proof of results for a real client. Our ten hospitality concepts are labelled that way and can be explored before you enquire.
- Does this include the exact pages, menu and booking setup my restaurant needs?
- What will I pay in the first year, and what recurring costs continue afterwards?
- Who supplies the copy, photography and brand files?
- How many revision rounds and what launch checks are included?
- Who controls the domain, booking-provider account and website files?
- What are the cancellation, handover and extra-work terms?
A brief that makes the quote more useful
Send the current website if you have one, the approximate menu size, the number of locations and the booking system you use. Mention any private-dining, ordering or voucher requirements and whether you already have usable photography. These details help establish whether a defined package will fit.
For a new opening, add your intended launch date and what content is ready. For an existing restaurant, explain the main problem: outdated information, a difficult menu, a weak mobile experience or a site that no longer reflects the room. A clear brief makes it easier to get a quote you can actually compare.
A website for your restaurant
Start with a conversation.
Share your restaurant, current website and plans. We will confirm the scope and booking setup, with the full cost agreed before work begins.
Discuss your website budget
Or email hello@firstsitting.agency.