For people working in a kitchen, having the chance to work in a Michelin Star restaurant means working at the top level. Teams at Michelin Star restaurants have to maintain the highest standards year after year and continue to innovate to keep that star. So, for someone working in Web Development with a special emphasis on the Restaurant Industry, looking at the list of Michelin Star Restaurants is looking at a list of ideal clients with the goal of creating a Michelin Star Restaurant Website that is deserving.
The Opportunity to Develop a Michelin Star Restaurant Website
I started working with Ariete Hospitality Group in 2020. After the James Beard Foundation Award and before the inevitable Michelin Star. I worked directly with the C-suite to develop the websites for the Hospitality Group, to a total of 12 websites. There’s now a Michelin Star and 5 Michelin Guide presences between them.
In 2022, Ariete was awarded a Michelin Star, Chug’s Diner was awarded a Bib Gourmand, and Navé was included in the Michelin Guide 2022.
More recently, in 2023, Brasserie Laurel and The Gibson Room have been added to the Michelin Guide 2023 as well.
Ariete’s Innovative New-American
Ariete is Chef Michael Beltran’s vision “shaped by [his] passion for his Cuban heritage, devotion to championing Miami ingredients and tradition, and commitment to classic French technique”. With Chef Michael having been a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist and all the excitement around Ariete’s multiple concepts, as soon as I knew that the Michelin Guide would be covering Florida, I knew that a Michelin Star was a possibility.
I was extremely happy for the whole team, and of course, very proud of myself for having been a part of their story. Being able to claim to have developed a Michelin Star Restaurant Website, didn’t hurt either.
What I Learned Developing a Michelin Star Restaurant Website
Every project I have worked on has taught me valuable lessons. Developing a Michelin Star Restaurant-worthy website is no different, and presented a fresh new perspective. I believe some insights would apply solely to high-end websites but I also had the chance to develop an understanding of certain dynamics that are still extremely relevant across the board, regardless of the particular website.
Less is (Particularly) More
Michelin Star Restaurants lean towards the high-end, and there is a particular expectation that comes with that – both in-person and in what concerns a Michelin Star Restaurant Website. From my experience, and speaking from an aesthetics point of view, the “less is more” cliché is particularly true for high-end websites.
This does not mean that all high-end restaurant websites need minimalist guidelines – much less does it mean that for restaurant websites overall – but it does provide an important starting point when kickstarting the conceptualization and development process.
It is always going to be dependent on the concept of the actual location. The website should follow the brand guidelines and the physical location, serving as an extension of it. (A quick note: I do not recommend developing the brand and the website simultaneously unless that is done in-house or with a single provider.)
Even the World’s Best Restaurant needs a website
I would venture to say that for most restaurants, a website acts as a short-term investment. Most restaurants want low investment and are looking for basic features that can be implemented on a quick turnover – reach out if this is something you’d be interested in.
For higher-end restaurants that are well-established, the dynamic is extremely different. The hype is already there, and the bookings follow. The menu update process is already streamlined and they don’t lean as much on the digital side of things. Yet, the hype needs to be continuously renewed, and that’s where a quality restaurant website can go a long way, especially when it comes to supporting your public relations efforts.
Prepare and Deliver Ahead of Time
For high-end restaurants, capturing the first star is only the first step. There are still two more stars to capture and then there’s still a lot of work to be done to maintain the honor of running a three-star restaurant. The concept, the food, the presentation, and the website, need to stay fresh and in constant reinvention.
And a great website can prepare for all that work. From the get-go, websites had to be prepared for a lot of immediate implementations, while allowing for additional requests. That way, we were able to prepare the website as an accurate extension of the physical location.
Let’s Work Together!
If any, or ideally all, of this sounded good, it means we may be a great fit to work together! Reach out and let’s figure out how to update your website!
