Should I hire a photographer, or is a careful phone enough?

Yes, you need a shoot if the menu, the ad or Google depend on a dish the phone cannot hold. A phone is enough for the day's story once that menu already has the good photo. Split the dishes that open the menu from the notices that expire at close. The miss is holding the menu for a year on a phone flash so the signature dish never gets ordered. The menu keeps the shoot, and the shift phone only covers that day's notice.