Frequently Asked Questions

Setup & Launch

What’s included in the Full Setup Service?

Our Full Setup Service includes everything needed to get your site launched and looking great.  We input all of your food menus and content, we’ll add your logo, and customize colors.  We’ll add your photos, connect social media accounts, etc.

How long will it take to create my website?

We’ll have your site ready in 3 to 5 business days.

I have my own domain name.  Can I use that?

When you sign up, we’ll give you a temporary domain, like yourname.restaurantengine.com.  Then once we have your new site all setup and ready to go live, we’ll connect your domain so that’s what customers see (they won’t see restaurantengine.com).

I don’t have a domain name yet.  Can I get one through Restaurant Engine?

We don’t provide domain names, but we recommend you purchase one from Godaddy.com.  They run about $14/year.

Can I use my current web host?

Restaurant Engine is a hosted service, with web hosting included.  So you won’t need to pay for your own hosting after you launch your site with Restaurant Engine.

My restaurant has multiple locations.  Can we list them all on our website?

Yes you can at no extra charge.  However, if you’re doing Online Ordering, then it costs a bit more per location.  Contact us for details.

I own multiple restaurants and need each to have it’s own website.  Do you offer a bulk discount?

Yes! You’ll receive 20% off when you have two or more sites with us.

Billing

How much does it cost?

Pricing for Restaurant Engine is broken into two steps:  The initial cost of setting up your new website and the ongoing cost for hosting and support.

You’ll find that with Restaurant Engine, both of these costs are a fraction of what you’d pay a local web designer or firm.  Plus, you receive professional quality and personalized support at Restaurant Engine, which you often won’t find elsewhere.

Visit our Pricing page for our current pricing and packages.

View a price comparison of Restaurant Engine vs. Hiring a local web designer.

What’s included in the monthly fee?

The monthly service includes your web hosting, and access to all of the features built into your site.

It also includes our customer support, which is what our customers really love about our service.  We’re here to help however we can.

You’ll have the ability to log in and make edits to your site anytime you want.  But if you get too busy, we can make routine updates for you, for example, updating a few menu items or adding a new photo — that’s included in our service.

Are there any contracts?

No contracts.  You can cancel anytime.

Updating your website

Can I make updates myself?

Yes. You will have the ability to log in and make edits to your site anytime you want.  For example, changing menu items, photos, info – all very easy to do.

We have tutorials and videos available.  And of course, we’re here to help answer questions anytime.

Can you make updates for me?

Yes, just send us an email and we’ll take care of it (no extra charge). We can make most routine updates for you within 1-2 business days.

Optimization

Will you optimize my website for mobile?

Yes. Every page on your website is optimized for mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets.

So no matter where your customers are, and no matter which brand of smartphone they own, they can easily find your restaurant, view your website, book a reservation, and place an order.

How will you help my website rank higher on search engines and Google?

We make sure your website is built using all of today’s industry best practices for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). That means we give you the best possible chance to rank highly in Google.

We’ll optimize the keywords on your site. We’ll add Google Analytics account to your site, so you can easily track how much traffic you’re getting (and more).

How do Reservations work? Can I use OpenTable or something else?

If you have an account with OpenTable, we can seamlessly integrate your OpenTable reservations widget on your website.

We can do the same with any other reservations service you choose to use.

Or, we provide you with a basic (customizable) reservations form, at no extra charge.

Online Ordering

How will I receive my online orders?

You can receive new orders any number of ways:  You can receive a phone call (it’s an automated phone call), an email or fax, or any combination of these.

Or, if you have a receipt printer, orders can be sent directly to that.

Can I integrate my POS system?

Yes, if you have one of the supported POS systems, our Online Ordering “Premium” plan includes POS integration.

What if my POS system isn’t supported?

You can still have Online Ordering, with our Online Ordering “Standard” plan.  You can receive new orders with a phone call, email, fax, or it can connect to your receipt printer if you have one.

By the way, you don’t have to use our Online Ordering provider.  We can integrate any other Online Ordering provider on your new website from Restaurant Engine.

Who is OpenDining.net? Do I need an account with them?

Our Online Ordering system is powered by OpenDining.net. We’ve partnered with them and integrated their system into ours.

You do not need to create your own account with OpenDining. When you choose one of our Online Ordering plans, we will setup and integrate an OpenDining.net account for you at no extra charge.

Can I accept credit cards?

Yes, you have the option accept credit card orders. Though it’s not required (you can simply accept payment in person at the time of pickup or delivery).

In order to accept credit card orders, you’ll need to open a Payment Gateway account. There are many payment gateways you can choose from. The one that we recommend is Stripe.com.  It’s very low cost and super simple to manage. Contact us for details.

Can I use a different Online Ordering provider?

We can integrate any online ordering provider you choose to work with. All you’ll need is our basic plan for your website, $49/month and we can integrate your online ordering menu at no extra charge.

Reselling

I’d like to resell / white label your services to my clients.  Is that possible?

Yes, we have a Reseller program. Find basic information about it here: restaurantengine.com/reseller

As a Reseller, you can sign up for Restaurant Engine and create websites for your clients. We bill you for each website at a discounted rate, and you then bill your clients however you see fit.

We can even do our Full Setup Service for any of your clients sites, without being in direct contact with your clients.

Contact us for details.

I don’t want to resell.  I just want to refer my clients to you and earn a commission.  Is that possible?

Yes, we have an Affiliate program for this.  More information about the Affiliate program (and Affiliate registration) here: restaurantengine.com/affiliate-program

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