Google Business Profile for restaurants and dhabas in India

Pick your categories

Also add, if they fit

• If your board says "Hotel" but you don't have rooms, still pick a restaurant category. "Hotel" in Google means a place to stay.
• Add "Vegetarian restaurant" only if you serve no meat or eggs at all. Many people use this to filter, and a wrong tag leads to angry reviews.

See every business type in the category finder

Menu and order options

Restaurants get a Menu section. Fill it in with dishes and prices, and add photos of your best-sellers. Keep it updated when prices change.

• Full menu with prices, grouped by section (starters, mains, breads, rice, desserts)
• Thalis and combos, with what's included
• Your order links for Zomato, Swiggy or your own ordering
• Dine-in, takeaway and delivery options set correctly
• Party orders or catering, if you take them
• Outdoor seating, family seating or AC section, if you have them
• Jain food or no onion-garlic options, if you make them

Photos that work

• Your top dishes, plated the way you serve them, in daylight or good light.
• The menu card, clear enough to read.
• The seating area, full and empty, so people know the vibe and space.
• The outside with your board, and parking if you have it.
• The kitchen, if it's clean and you're proud of it. It builds trust.
• Customers add their own photos too. Reply to some and thank them.

What to post about

• Navratri vrat thali, Ramzan iftar specials or Christmas menus, only if you really make them.
• Monsoon specials like pakode and chai, or a winter menu with sarson da saag, if it suits your cuisine.
• New dishes, with a photo and price.
• Changed hours on festival days, like early closing on Diwali.
• Live music, IPL screenings or events at the restaurant.

When and how to ask for reviews

Ask when you bring the bill, after people have finished eating. For delivery orders, the customer has never met you, so a note in the parcel works better.

1. 1

   QR on the bill folder or table

   Put your review QR code on a small card in the bill folder or on the table.

2. 2

   Train the staff to ask every table

   "If you liked the food, please review us on Google." Every table, not only the ones who praised the food.

3. 3

   A card in delivery parcels

   Add a small card with the review QR in takeaway and delivery bags.

4. 4

   Nothing in return

   No free dessert or discount for a review. It's against Google's rules and reviews can be removed.

Whenever you ask, Google's rules apply: ask every customer, not only the happy ones, and never offer anything in return for a review.

Mistakes to avoid

• An old menu with old prices

  Customers who see one price on Google and pay another write about it. Update the menu every time you change prices.

• Wrong hours on festival days

  Set special hours for Diwali, Holi, Eid and local festivals. A family driving to a closed restaurant will leave a bad review.

• Keywords in the name

  "Sharma Dhaba" is fine. "Sharma Dhaba - Best Biryani Near Highway" can get the profile suspended.

• Cloud kitchens showing an address

  If customers can't come to your kitchen, Google's rules for delivery-only kitchens are different. Check them before showing the address.

Questions