Rheos.
Log inSign up
Use cases
How customers find a business in 2026TradesHealth and beautyChildcareFood and hospitalityProfessional servicesPropertyLocal shopsOnline shopsSoftware and appsCreators and coaches
Resources
DocsNewsArticlesResearchChangelog
Rheos
PricingContact

How customers find restaurants in 2026

People choose where to eat by looking at the food and the room. They search Google Maps, scroll Instagram or TikTok for photos, and read a few reviews and the menu. For a busy night or a group they book a table; otherwise they walk in. This page shows where your customers look and what they check before they book.

Where customers look

How much customers of restaurants use each place, strongest first.

Where customers look for restaurants, 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 restaurants

Step 1 · Brand

It learns your brand, voice and style.

Example: Hearth Street Kitchen

A neighbourhood restaurant in Norwich cooking on wood and charcoal. Sunday roasts and a short seasonal menu. Warm, relaxed and a little dry. Talks about food like a host at the table.

HSHearth Street Kitchen@hearthstreetkitchen
DM Serif Display · DM Sans

Warm, relaxed and a little dry. Talks about food like a host at the table.

Locals looking for somewhere for a weekend mealGroups booking a celebration
Websitehearthstreetkitchen.co.uk
Handles@hearthstreetkitchen
Hearth Street KitchenExample
Business

Hearth Street Kitchen

A neighbourhood restaurant in Norwich cooking on wood and charcoal. Sunday roasts and a short seasonal menu.

Ideal customers
  • Locals looking for somewhere for a weekend meal
  • Groups booking a celebration
Voice

Warm, relaxed and a little dry. Talks about food like a host at the table.

Style

DM Serif Display · DM Sans

Read from hearthstreetkitchen.co.uk and @hearthstreetkitchen

Step 2 · Strategy

A plan to reach locals looking for somewhere for a weekend meal.

Example: Hearth Street Kitchen

Two kinds of customer: locals looking for somewhere for a weekend meal and groups booking a celebration. 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: Hearth Street Kitchen

This week: slow-cooked lamb shoulder, why we cook on wood and Christmas party bookings. It turns each into a post idea you can edit, with images from your library.

New postPick an angle
Slow-cooked lamb shoulderWhy we cook on woodChristmas party bookings
Connect

Six hours for a lamb shoulder

In at 11, on the table at 5.

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.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulderWhy we cook on woodChristmas party bookings
The lamb shoulder goes in at 11 and comes out at 5, so the whole kitchen smells of rosemary all afternoon.

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

TopConnectSix hours for a lamb shoulderIn at 11, on the table at 5.Photo
TopEducateWhy we cook on woodIt changes the taste. Here is how.Carousel
TopAnnounceChristmas party bookingsTables for groups of eight or more are open.Photo
Step 4 · Post

Out on Instagram and the rest.

Example: Hearth Street Kitchen

“Six hours for a lamb shoulder” and the rest of the week, scheduled across Instagram and Facebook from one calendar.

Up next
  • Why we cook on woodTue 09:00Scheduled
  • Christmas party bookingsWed 09:00Scheduled
  • A customer question, answeredThu 09:00Draft
Up next
  • Why we cook on woodTue 09:00
  • Christmas party bookingsWed 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: Hearth Street Kitchen

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
2.2KTotal views
330Most viewed
30Most liked
Six hours for a lamb shoulder2.5×
Audience520+22 in period
Total views2.2KImpressions and plays
Most viewed330viewsSix hours for a lamb shoulder
Most liked30likesSix hours for a lamb shoulder
AudienceFollowers gained per day across your platformsAudience
Instagram+13Facebook+9

Post review

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

PostViewsEngagementPerformance
Six hours for a lamb shoulder330302.5×
Christmas party bookings19091.6×
Why we cook on wood10080.9×

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 restaurants?

For restaurants, 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 restaurants?

The usual steps are: find you, check the menu and reviews, book or walk in and first visit. Customers of restaurants mostly use Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Which social media should restaurants use?

Customers of restaurants 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 restaurants show up when people ask ChatGPT or Google?

Our starting estimate for how much customers of restaurants 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.