How To Build a Website and Sales Funnel With Clickfunnels For Restaurants

Imagine you just moved from Chicago to Kenosha, Wisconsin. It has always been your dream to open an Italian restaurant, and you finally did it. There is just one problem: every other restaurant in Kenosha is also Italian. You are walking into a market with stiff, entrenched competition and you do not know a single person in town. How do you get people in the door before word of mouth has had a chance to build?

That is the exact problem a ClickFunnels sales funnel solves. In this tutorial, Alston walks through the full build of a restaurant landing page inside ClickFunnels, step by step, starting from a blank canvas and ending with a shareable opt-in page and a printable coupon thank-you page. No coding skills required. You only need to know how to click, drag, drop, and edit.

What You’ll Walk Out With

A clear explanation of why restaurants need a two-part sales funnel, not just a social media page
A walkthrough of the three tools used in the build: ClickFunnels, Funnel Scripts, and Unsplash
Step-by-step instructions for creating the opt-in landing page from scratch inside ClickFunnels
The one button setting most beginners skip that lets visitors claim their coupon without entering their email
How to build the thank-you page with a printable coupon using ClickFunnels’ built-in border tool
How to expand a ClickFunnels funnel into a full restaurant website with menu, about, and reservations pages
Why the email list you build from this funnel is the real long-term business asset
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Why Every Local Restaurant Needs a Sales Funnel

Most restaurant owners think about foot traffic and word of mouth. Both are real, but they are slow and unpredictable. A sales funnel gives you something neither of those can: a direct line to a specific customer at a specific time.

Here is how the funnel model works for a restaurant. You drive traffic to a landing page, whether through a Facebook ad, a paid Google placement, or simply a link in your Instagram bio. On that landing page, you offer the visitor something they want, typically a discount. It could be 10% off any meal over $30, or buy one entree and get the second entree free. Whatever you choose, you exchange that free offer for their email address.

Once you have that email address, you own the relationship. You are not at the mercy of a social media algorithm deciding how many of your followers see your post. You can send emails as often as you want, promoting any event, any special, any reason for someone to come back. Ladies night, a charity fundraiser, a new seasonal menu item, a private dinner for your top customers. Alston describes it as the ability to “print money on demand” once you have built genuine rapport with your list.

The confirmation that this works at scale? Alston checked his iPhone the day he recorded this video and had four emails from Maggiano’s with different promotions. Olive Garden does the same thing. Any business that is serious about making money is building and growing an email list. The funnel is the mechanism that builds it.

The Three Tools Used in This Build

Before getting into the build itself, here are the three tools Alston uses in the tutorial and what role each one plays.

ClickFunnels is the main platform. It is a drag-and-drop funnel and website builder that requires no coding. The pricing at the time of the video is not specified exactly, but ClickFunnels offered a two-week free trial. After the trial ends, a paid subscription is required.

Funnel Scripts is a separate, optional piece of software. It was created alongside Russell Brunson and is based on the Copy Secrets book framework. It provides pre-written headline templates, email scripts, advertising copy, and sales scripts for a wide range of business types. Alston uses it in the tutorial to generate headline ideas faster rather than writing them from scratch. You do not have to buy Funnel Scripts to follow the same process; it is a convenience tool.

Unsplash is a free image website. You type in a keyword, such as “restaurant” or “chef,” and download high-quality photos at no cost. In the tutorial, Alston pulls a background image and a chef photo from Unsplash and uses them directly on the landing page. This is the right choice for a tutorial build; for a real restaurant, you would want to use your own photos of the space, the food, and the team.

Step 1: Create the Funnel in ClickFunnels

Once you are inside the ClickFunnels back office, the first action is to click Add New and choose Classic Funnel. From the classic funnel options, select Collect Email Addresses. This is the goal of the entire first page: capturing the visitor’s name and email in exchange for their coupon.

Give the funnel a name, something like “Restaurant,” and apply a tag if you want to organize it later. Click Build the Funnel. ClickFunnels will automatically generate two pages for you: an opt-in page and a thank-you page. Both are pre-built with placeholder content. In the tutorial, Alston deletes all the default content from the opt-in page to start from a blank slate. This approach lets you see exactly how the sections, rows, columns, and elements stack together from the ground up.

Step 2: Understand the ClickFunnels Page Structure

ClickFunnels pages are organized into a four-level hierarchy. Understanding this hierarchy before you start building prevents a lot of confusion.

A Section is the largest unit. Think of it like a page in a Microsoft Word document. You can only have one active background setting per section. Within a section, you can add multiple Rows. Within each row, you can add multiple Columns. Within each column, you can place multiple Elements, which are the actual content blocks: headlines, images, paragraphs, buttons, input fields, and so on.

Once Alston clears the default content, he also removes the default background from the section settings so he can replace it with a custom image. That brings in the Unsplash step.

Step 3: Add the Background Image and Layout

With the section blank, go to Settings, then Background, then Image. You can either upload an image from your computer or drag and drop one directly into the field.

For the Unsplash workflow: open unsplash.com in a separate tab, search for “restaurant” or “waiter” or “chef,” download the image, and drag it into the ClickFunnels background field. The image will load as the section background. ClickFunnels also gives you options to adjust the intensity, overlay, and style of the background so the text placed on top remains readable. You can also set a background video if you want a more dynamic feel, though Alston notes that is probably unnecessary for most restaurant builds at this stage.

For the main column layout, Alston uses two columns side by side: one side for the copy and form, the other for a photo of the head chef. This is a clean structure that gives the page visual interest without overwhelming the visitor.

Step 4: Write the Headline, Subheading, and Offer

With the layout in place, add a Headline element to the top of the page. The example Alston uses: “Do You Want to Eat for Free at the Hottest New Restaurant in Town?” That is a direct question aimed at the visitor’s self-interest, which is what a landing page headline should do.

Below the headline, add a Subheading element. The example from the tutorial: “Critics gave it a 9 out of 10 stars.” A playful additional line is included: “Would have been 10 out of 10 but one critic didn’t show up.” The dry humor works here because it is confident and human. Whether you use humor or a straight benefit statement, the subheading should reinforce why the visitor should keep reading.

Alston changes the subheading section’s background color to red and flips the text to white so it stands out visually against the restaurant image. The text size is also increased. All of this is done in a few clicks inside the element settings without touching a line of code.

Step 5: Add the Email Capture Form

Below the headline block, add a section for the input fields. The form needs three elements: a First Name input field, an Email input field, and a Submit Button.

For the input fields, click Add Element and choose the Input Widget. Set the first field to collect first name and mark it as required. Set the second field to collect email address. Having the first name is important because it lets you personalize your follow-up emails. Instead of “Hey there,” you can open with “Hey Bill, Santa is coming in next week, bring the kids.”

For the button, change the label from the default text to something that reinforces the offer: “I Want My Free Meal” works well. The button copy should match what the visitor is about to receive.

Now comes the step that most beginners miss. After placing the button, you must set the Action. Alston says he has made this mistake multiple times himself. If you do not set the action, a visitor can click the button and be taken to the next page, claiming their coupon, without actually entering their email address. You get nothing; they get the free meal. Set the action to Submit Order so the form validates the email field before letting the visitor advance.

Step 6: Add Contact Information to the Page

Add a paragraph element at the bottom of the landing page with the restaurant’s basic contact details. The example from the tutorial includes: address, phone, email, hours, and any other relevant details. Alston uses a green background with white text for this block to separate it visually from the rest of the page. Once the page goes live, you fill in the real information for your location.

When it comes to column width, ClickFunnels lets you drag the column divider left or right to resize. In the tutorial, Alston adjusts the chef photo column so it sits at a natural proportion alongside the copy column. A small detail, but it matters for how the page reads at first glance.

Landing page design philosophy: Alston makes the point directly that a simple page outperforms a complex one when the goal is email collection. The more elements, links, and options you give a visitor, the more opportunities they have to click away, get confused, or get distracted. When you are just trying to collect an email address, you want one clear offer, one clear action, and nothing else competing for attention.

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Step 7: Build the Thank-You Page and Printable Coupon

Once the opt-in page is saved, move to the thank-you page. Rather than building it from scratch, Alston clones the opt-in page. This gives the thank-you page the same visual style, colors, and structure as the first page. In marketing, this is called congruence: when every step of the funnel looks and feels connected, visitors stay more engaged. A jarring visual change between the opt-in page and the thank-you page creates hesitation.

The thank-you page serves two purposes: deliver the promised coupon and start selling the visitor on your restaurant. Alston adds a headline that reads “Thanks for signing up, your coupon is below,” then uses ClickFunnels’ Advanced Border settings to create a dotted-line coupon border around a text block that reads “Coupon for One Free Meal” with a note that the customer must bring it in. A short coupon number or code is added so the restaurant can track which coupons were used.

The coupon element is entirely visual, built with border styling inside ClickFunnels. No external design software is needed. Once the page is live and a visitor submits their email, they land here and can print the page directly from the browser.

Step 8: Turn the Funnel Into a Full Restaurant Website

This is the part of the tutorial that surprises most people. ClickFunnels is typically marketed as a funnel builder, but it is technically a full website platform. You can add as many pages as you want to a funnel, which means you can build an entire site inside the same tool.

On the thank-you page, Alston adds a navigation row with links that say: Menu, About Us, Contact Us, Reservations, and Employment. Each link can point to a separate page inside the same ClickFunnels funnel. For the menu, if you have a PDF hosted somewhere, such as Google Drive, Amazon S3, or any file hosting service, you can link directly to it. For the About Us and Contact pages, you clone the existing page and update the content.

The preview in the tutorial shows that this actually works. Clicking the About Us link takes the visitor to the cloned page configured as an about page. The whole site lives inside one ClickFunnels account without hiring a developer or managing a separate CMS.

If you are opening a new restaurant and do not yet have a full web presence, this approach gets you a functional website and email capture system running in an afternoon.

The Email Marketing Backend: Where the Real Money Lives

Alston mentions early in the video that this tutorial covers the front half of the funnel: the landing page and the thank-you page. The back half, the email sequence, is outside the scope of the video but is described as the mechanism that lets you “print money on demand.”

Here is how the back half works conceptually. Once someone submits their email on your landing page, they are added to your list inside whatever email marketing tool connects to ClickFunnels, such as ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, or ClickFunnels’ own email system. From that point forward, you can send them any promotion at any time: a special event, a new menu item, a limited-time offer, a donation drive, a holiday reservation discount.

The key phrase Alston uses is “if you have developed a relationship and built a rapport.” The email list only works if you are consistent. If you collect 500 emails and then go dark for three months, your open rates will crater. If you send something of value regularly, even if it is just a short update about what is new at the restaurant, people will stay engaged and show up when you make an offer.

Honest Drawbacks

This funnel setup is genuinely useful, but there are a few things to be realistic about before you start.

ClickFunnels has a cost after the trial. The two-week free trial gives you time to build and test, but after that you are on a paid plan. If you are not actively running ads or sending enough email traffic to the page, a monthly subscription adds up. Do not pay for ClickFunnels without a plan to actually use it.

The funnel only works if you send traffic. Building the landing page is step one. You also need a way to get people to it. Whether that is a paid Facebook ad, a Google ad, a neighborhood-targeted flyer with a QR code, or a post in a local Facebook group, the funnel does nothing on its own. Plan your traffic source before you build the page.

The coupon has a real cost. Offering a free meal means someone eats for free. Budget for the redemption rate, especially when the offer is aggressive. A “buy one, get one free” or “$20 off a $25 purchase” offer will bring people in, but you need the margins to support it.

Funnel Scripts is optional. Alston uses it to speed up headline writing. You can write effective headlines without it, especially if your offer is simple and your audience is local. Do not add another subscription just to get started.

Find Your X

This tutorial focuses on one specific use case: using ClickFunnels to build a restaurant email list. But the same funnel structure applies to any local business, service provider, or side business trying to collect leads and follow up with customers. If you are not sure what online skill or business model fits your situation right now, the quiz at finder.platformproof.com gives you a concrete starting point in under two minutes, based on your time, existing skills, and income target.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ClickFunnels work for small, independent restaurants or only chains?

ClickFunnels works for any size restaurant. The tutorial is specifically built around the example of a single-location independent restaurant entering a competitive local market. Chains have larger marketing budgets, but the funnel structure, collect an email in exchange for a discount, is most valuable for small operators who cannot afford to burn money on one-and-done ad campaigns.

What should I offer on the landing page to get people to give me their email?

Alston suggests two options from the tutorial: a percentage discount (such as 10% off any meal over $30) or a buy-one-get-one deal on entrees. The right offer depends on your margins. The goal is to make it compelling enough that a new customer has a reason to hand over their email address and try the restaurant for the first time. Once they come in, the food and service do the work of converting them into a repeat customer.

Do I need to know how to code to build this?

No. Alston is explicit about this in the tutorial. ClickFunnels is a drag-and-drop builder. Every element in the build, the background image, the headline, the input fields, the coupon border, the navigation links, is handled by clicking, dragging, and editing inside the visual editor. No HTML, CSS, or JavaScript is required.

What happens if I forget to set the button action?

If you do not set the button action to Submit Order, a visitor can click the button and advance to the thank-you page without entering any information. They get the coupon; you get nothing. Alston says he made this mistake multiple times himself before catching it. After placing the button, always go into its settings and confirm the action is set to Submit Order.

Can I use my own restaurant photos instead of Unsplash images?

Yes, and for a real live restaurant, you should. Unsplash is useful for a tutorial build or a quick prototype. On your actual landing page, using photos of your real space, your real team, and your real food creates a stronger connection with local visitors who may already have passed by your location. You can upload any image directly to the ClickFunnels section background or image element.

Can ClickFunnels replace a full restaurant website?

According to the tutorial, yes, at a basic level. Alston demonstrates adding navigation links, a menu page, an about page, a contact page, a reservations page, and an employment page all inside the same ClickFunnels funnel. For a new restaurant that needs something online quickly without hiring a developer, this is a workable solution. For a larger operation that needs a booking system, online ordering, review platform integration, or a complex database-driven menu, a dedicated website platform may be a better long-term fit.

What email marketing tool connects to the ClickFunnels form?

ClickFunnels integrates with a range of email platforms, including ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, Aweber, GetResponse, and others. The tutorial does not specify which one to use; the email back-end is described as outside the scope of the video. ClickFunnels also has a built-in email tool called Follow-Up Funnels, available on certain plan tiers. Choose whichever email platform you already have or plan to use for your business.

How much traffic do I need before the funnel becomes worth it?

There is no fixed number, but a useful way to think about it: if you spend $5 per day on a Facebook ad targeting your city, and your landing page converts at 20%, that is roughly one new email per day at $25 per lead. If a new customer is worth $100 to your restaurant over their first three visits, the math works. The funnel becomes more valuable as your list grows and email follow-up replaces the need for paid ads to re-engage the same people.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “How To Build a Website and Sales Funnel With Clickfunnels For Restaurants,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/C185KcWyr7o
ClickFunnels official site: clickfunnels.com
Unsplash free image library: unsplash.com
Funnel Scripts copywriting software: funnelscripts.com