ORBIT Library: Restaurant intelligence guides for independent restaurants

Views, likes and followers measure attention. Your restaurant still has to survive the customer’s next comparison before that attention becomes a visit.

Strong reviews tell you something important about people who visited. They do not fully explain the people who considered your restaurant and chose somewhere else.

Customers do not always choose between restaurants that look similar to operators. They choose between the alternatives that can solve the same dining decision.

Price can absolutely affect restaurant choice. Slow sales still do not prove that your menu is too expensive.

Your real competitor is not simply the restaurant next door or the one serving the same cuisine. It is any credible alternative that can win the same customer decision.

Restaurant choice is rarely one factor. Customers discover options, remove poor fits, compare a smaller set and choose what feels right for the occasion.

A Google Maps view means someone saw your Business Profile. It does not mean they chose the restaurant, requested directions or visited.

A star rating summarises feedback from people who reviewed the restaurant. Busyness reflects a much wider system of demand, choice, convenience, capacity and repeat behaviour.