Choose the right competitors
Pick two or three restaurants your guests actually consider instead of you: similar cuisine or occasion, similar price point, within a short drive. The busiest restaurant in town isn’t always the right comparison.
Compare more than star ratings
Ratings are a starting point. Compare these too:
- Review volume over the last six months
- Sentiment for food, service, atmosphere and value
- How often each restaurant replies to reviews
- Photos, menu links and hours on Google and Apple Maps
- Whether each restaurant shows up in AI assistant answers for local searches
Find what they’re praised for
Read competitors’ recent positive reviews and note the specific things guests mention. Then check how often those same things come up in your reviews. A gap here shows you either something to improve or a strength you aren’t promoting.
Check search and AI visibility
Search for phrases like “best brunch near me” or “date night restaurant in [your city]” on Google, Apple Maps and an AI assistant. Note who appears and who doesn’t. Complete listings, consistent details and clear website pages all help.
Turn the gaps into a plan
Rank the gaps by how much they matter to guests and how easy they are to fix. Start with one or two quick wins and one bigger change.
Repeat every quarter
Competitors change too. A quarterly benchmark, with ongoing monitoring in between, keeps you ahead.
OmniServe’s free Taste Report includes a two-competitor benchmark and your search and AI visibility score.
KEEP READING
Related
Want this done for your restaurant?
The free Taste Report compares your reviews with two local competitors and lists the top fixes.