Hey everyone! I'm diving into some freelance work and landed a project to build a website for a restaurant. They need an online ordering system with a payment gateway, plus the orders should automatically print out in the restaurant. I usually work with Next.js, Node.js (Express), MySQL, and Tailwind CSS, but I'm considering switching to WordPress with plugins to save time and make future updates easier. What do you think? Should I go for a custom solution or stick with WordPress? Thanks for your input!
5 Answers
I have my doubts about WordPress. It’s mostly suited for marketing sites rather than something functional like online ordering. I think using a basic website for the restaurant and then leveraging a third-party service for ordering will work best. Customers are all about convenience; they just want food without the bells and whistles.
While WordPress might seem easier at first, you might find yourself spending considerable time sorting out plugin issues and tweaking the ordering experience. For a more streamlined approach, consider a headless CMS like Strapi or Sanity for menu management alongside a custom Next.js frontend. Custom solutions often excel in tough areas like printer integration, which matters for restaurant operation.
I'd suggest looking into third-party services for managing ordering and printing directly. Trying to build all of this yourself can be a lot of work and often isn’t worth it. I’ve done custom coded sites for restaurants, and I can say they perform great, but it requires a lot of energy. If you want to focus on performance, custom might be the way to go.
Using hosted WordPress could be a smart choice. It handles everything you need, like online orders, pretty efficiently. Plus, it saves a lot of development time and simplifies future updates for the restaurant staff. I personally use NixiHost for client sites because they offer stable hosting and an easy one-click install for WordPress. You can integrate WooCommerce for managing orders and set up a plugin for automatic printing. This whole setup will get you running faster than building from the ground up with Next.js and Node unless you have a super specific custom requirement in mind.
You could try a mixed approach. A simple static site using a platform like Astro linked to a separate restaurant order system could work out really well. There are so many great restaurant ordering systems available, just pick one that fits your needs. Also, check out options like Wix or Squarespace; they likely have features that could simplify the process.
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