Restaurant Group Multisite

A multisite network lets one WordPress installation power many websites. For a group like this it means one set of plugins to update, one security process and one hosting environment, while each restaurant still behaves like an independent site with its own address in search results.

We designed the shared theme as a set of flexible Gutenberg blocks and ACF-powered components: heroes, menu sections, opening hours, location maps, events and private dining. Each venue combines them with its own colours, typography and photography, so the sites look clearly different but are built from the same tested parts. When we improve a component, every restaurant benefits at once.

• One installation, seven domains and identities
• Shared Gutenberg block library with per-venue styling
• Central updates, security and hosting for the whole group

Menus were the biggest pain point. Instead of uploading PDFs, kitchen and front-of-house teams now edit menus as structured content: sections, dishes, descriptions, prices and allergens. A change publishes immediately on the website and feeds a print-ready menu export, so the printed and online menus always match.

Because allergens are recorded as data rather than typed into a document, the information is consistent across every venue and easy to keep current, which is an important compliance requirement for any restaurant business. Menus are also proper text on the page, which helps search engines and diners using screen readers alike.

Bookings previously ran through three different providers, which made reporting difficult and confused regular guests who visited more than one venue. We consolidated them onto a single booking provider through its API and built a shared booking widget that respects each restaurant’s availability rules, covers and opening hours.

Gift cards became a group product: bought once from any site, redeemable at any of the seven restaurants and reconciled through the till system. It turns a single venue’s fan into a guest of the whole group.

Most diners view a restaurant website on a phone, minutes before deciding where to eat. Each site loads its menu, opening hours, location and booking button first, with large tap targets and optimised photography. Redis object caching keeps pages quick even during busy Friday evenings, and the central team can schedule campaign banners across the network in advance.