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How customers find bars and pubs in 2026

People pick a bar or pub on the night, often from their phone. They search Google Maps for somewhere nearby, look at photos on Instagram or TikTok, and check a few reviews. Plenty just walk past and come in. This page shows where your customers look and what they check before they come in.

Where customers look

How much customers of bars and pubs use each place, strongest first.

Where customers look for bars and pubs, and how much
PlaceUseHow much customers use it
Google and AIHigh
Social platformsHigh
Google MapsHigh
Directories and reviewsMedium
Word of mouthMedium
Groups and threadsLow

Explore how customers find you

How customers find a business

Pick a business to see what matters most for it.

Tap any icon to see where it gets its information.

InboundThey find you, by one of three routes
OutboundYou find them: an email, a LinkedIn message, a text. Joins at “get in touch”

1. Ask AI

Search and AI

2. Browse

Platforms, maps, directories

3. People

Groups and word of mouth

Discovery funnel

Every business, simplified

  1. 1Find you
  2. 2Check you out
  3. 3Get in touch
  4. 4Customer

Under every route: a clear website and the same name and details everywhere.

Every kind of business at a glance

Tap an industry to open it, then tap a business to draw its map above.

Matters mostNot much
1. Ask an AIAsk an AI2. BrowseBrowse3. Ask peopleAsk people
BusinessSells toGoogle and AIGoogle and AISocial platformsSocial platformsGoogle MapsGoogle MapsDirectories and reviewsDirectories and reviewsGroups and threadsGroups and threadsWord of mouthWord of mouth
Both, Public, BusinessesFacebookInstagramGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
PublicInstagramFacebookTikTokGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
PublicFacebookInstagramGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
Public, BothInstagramTikTokFacebookGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
Both, Public, BusinessesFacebookXGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
PublicFacebookInstagramGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
PublicInstagramFacebookGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
PublicInstagramTikTokFacebookGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
Businesses, PublicXInstagramTikTokFacebookGoogle MapsFacebookReddit
PublicInstagramYouTubeXFacebookTikTokGoogle MapsFacebookReddit

Marketing is about showing up in the right places.

Rheos helps you show up on social media and in search.

  • Social mediaInstagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X
  • SearchGoogle, Maps and AI answers

Here's how Rheos would work for bars and pubs

Step 1 · Brand

It learns your brand, voice and style.

Example: The Ferry Tap

A harbourside pub in Bristol with eight cask lines, a quiz on Wednesdays and a garden by the water. Friendly, cheeky and short. Sounds like the person behind the bar.

FTThe Ferry Tap@theferrytap
Bitter · Work Sans

Friendly, cheeky and short. Sounds like the person behind the bar.

Locals looking for somewhere to go tonightGroups planning a night out
Websitetheferrytap.co.uk
Handles@theferrytap
The Ferry TapExample
Business

The Ferry Tap

A harbourside pub in Bristol with eight cask lines, a quiz on Wednesdays and a garden by the water.

Ideal customers
  • Locals looking for somewhere to go tonight
  • Groups planning a night out
Voice

Friendly, cheeky and short. Sounds like the person behind the bar.

Style

Bitter · Work Sans

Read from theferrytap.co.uk and @theferrytap

Step 2 · Strategy

A plan to reach locals looking for somewhere to go tonight.

Example: The Ferry Tap

Two kinds of customer: locals looking for somewhere to go tonight and groups planning a night out. It works out where each of them looks, and plans the week around them.

This weekAwareness
Mon5
Tue6
Wed7
Thu8
Fri9
Sat10
Sun11
3 of 7 made Made Planned
Strategy
Example
3of 7 this weekAwareness4/wk3/wkTop 2/4Middle 1/2Bottom 0/1
Inputs
  • Goal
  • Platforms
  • Ideal customer
  • Brand
  • Trends
  • Platform knowledge
Plan This week
This weekMon 5Tue 6Wed 7Thu 8Fri 9Sat 10Sun 11
Instagram1 · 2 · 1
Facebook3 · 0 · 0
Top: new peopleMiddle: weighing you upBottom: ready to buy
PhotoCarouselVideoText
Step 3 · Create

Ideas from what is going on at your business.

Example: The Ferry Tap

This week: new guest ale on, Wednesday quiz night and garden heaters are in. It turns each into a post idea you can edit, with images from your library.

New postPick an angle
New guest ale onWednesday quiz nightGarden heaters are in
Announce

New guest ale on

Brewed two streets away. On from noon.

New post
  • Awareness slotMon 09:00
Research
  • Social trendsWhat is working on Instagram this week
  • Web researchSources on your topic, read for you
  • Your library

The idea session: a few questions, using the research.

This is your awareness post for Instagram, planned for Monday 5 October at 9:00. What story or angle do you want it to carry?

Top of funnel: people who don't know you yet. What goes in it has to come from you.

New guest ale onWednesday quiz nightGarden heaters are in
A new guest ale from a brewery two streets away went on at noon, and the first cask is nearly gone.

A few angles from what you told me. Pick one, or ask me to keep going.

TopAnnounceNew guest ale onBrewed two streets away. On from noon.Photo
TopConnectWednesday quiz nightTeams of up to six. Bragging rights only.Video
TopAnnounceGarden heaters are inSit by the water, even in November.Photo
Step 4 · Post

Out on Instagram and the rest.

Example: The Ferry Tap

“New guest ale on” and the rest of the week, scheduled across Instagram and Facebook from one calendar.

Up next
  • Wednesday quiz nightTue 09:00Scheduled
  • Garden heaters are inWed 09:00Scheduled
  • A customer question, answeredThu 09:00Draft
Up next
  • Wednesday quiz nightTue 09:00
  • Garden heaters are inWed 09:00
  • A customer question, answeredThu 09:00
  • Behind the scenesFri 09:00
Inputs
  • Slot time
  • Your accounts
OctoberWeekMonth
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
PostedScheduledOpen slot
Step 5 · Analyse

See what worked.

Example: The Ferry Tap

Which posts got seen, grew the following and turned into customers. That feeds straight back into next week's plan.

Inputs
  • Views
  • Likes
  • Followers
Last 30 days
2.4KTotal views
420Most viewed
36Most liked
Wednesday quiz night2.4×
Audience680+31 in period
Total views2.4KImpressions and plays
Most viewed420viewsWednesday quiz night
Most liked36likesWednesday quiz night
AudienceFollowers gained per day across your platformsAudience
Instagram+19Facebook+12

Post review

Every post against your own baseline, not an absolute number.

PostViewsEngagementPerformance
Wednesday quiz night420362.4×
New guest ale on360412×
Garden heaters are in150120.9×

Be there when your customers look.

Plan and post your social media in one place, so you show up wherever they look.

No card. Everything unlocked for your first 10 days, then free forever, or £55 a month for more.

More in food and hospitality

Questions

Where do customers look for bars and pubs?

For bars and pubs, customers look most in Google and AI, social platforms and Google Maps. Some also look in directories and reviews and word of mouth. These levels are our starting estimates, based on how these customers buy.

How do customers choose bars and pubs?

The usual steps are: see you, check photos and reviews and walk in. Customers of bars and pubs mostly use Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Which social media should bars and pubs use?

Customers of bars and pubs mostly use Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, so start there. Rheos plans and posts to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X. TikTok is not in Rheos yet.

How do bars and pubs show up when people ask ChatGPT or Google?

Our starting estimate for how much customers of bars and pubs search Google or ask AI is high. AI answers draw on your Google Business Profile, reviews, your website, and what people say about you on social media and forums. Keeping those up to date, and saying the same things in each place, is the best start.

The levels on the map are our starting estimates, based on how these customers buy. They are not measured data. The sources behind the research are in how customers find a business in 2026.