Menufy, the online ordering and digital growth platform designed for independent restaurants and small chains, recently released new consumer research showing that AI is changing how diners find places to eat and opening a new path to visibility for independent businesses.
The survey found that 80 percent of consumers would try an independently owned restaurant they had never heard of if it were recommended by AI. Consumers also see a clear advantage for local discovery, with 78 percent saying AI makes locally owned restaurants easier to discover compared with national chains. Together, the findings point to AI as a new visibility channel that could help independent restaurants get in front of consumers beyond traditional search habits.
“Independent restaurants have always had an advantage when it comes to having a distinct identity and a strong connection to their local communities,” said Aman Devgan, President and General Manager at Menufy. “AI gives consumers more ways to search around the details that matter to them, which can help the right restaurant surface for a much more specific need or occasion. For operators, the opportunity is to make what already makes their restaurant special clear and accessible online so the technology can understand it too.”
AI is already influencing where consumers eat
Restaurant discovery through AI is already part of how many consumers decide where to eat. Sixty percent say they use AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, or Perplexity to help make that decision, while another 19 percent have not used AI this way yet but would consider it.
That use is translating into real restaurant visits and orders, with 35 percent saying an AI recommendation introduced them to a restaurant they had not previously heard of and they went on to visit or order from that business. Another 14 percent discovered a new restaurant through AI without ultimately placing an order or visiting.
Consumers also see AI as useful across a range of dining decisions. More than half (54 percent) would use it to find restaurants nearby, while 31 percent would use it to search for a specific cuisine or dish and 30 percent would turn to AI when looking for restaurants in a new city. The results show how conversational search can help consumers narrow a broad set of choices around the details that matter to a particular meal or occasion.
Independent restaurants have an opportunity to reach new diners
This is where smaller, independently owned restaurants have an edge. Among respondents, 76 percent said they would be likely to try a local restaurant recommended by AI, compared with 65 percent who said the same of a national chain. The gap shows AI can help diners look beyond the familiar brands that often come to mind first and consider local options they may not have otherwise found.
AI is also gaining credibility alongside established restaurant discovery sources. Sixty-four percent of consumers trust AI restaurant recommendations at least as much as traditional Google Search, and 59 percent trust AI at least as much as Google Reviews.
Personal recommendations remain particularly influential, with 59 percent saying they trust friends or family more than AI. This suggests AI is becoming an increasingly credible part of the decision process, alongside sources consumers already use when choosing where to eat.
Digital fundamentals still help turn discovery into an order
While independent restaurants and smaller chains have a real opportunity to win when it comes to AI search and discovery, AI is only one piece of the pie. For most consumers, it serves as a starting point before they take additional steps to validate whether a restaurant is right for them.
Only 2 percent of consumers say they would order from an unfamiliar restaurant recommended by AI without checking another source first. Instead, 54 percent would review menu information and prices, 48 percent would check customer ratings and reviews, and 47 percent would visit the restaurant’s official website before deciding whether to order.
For independent restaurants, that behavior raises the stakes for the digital information consumers encounter after an AI recommendation. Up-to-date menu information and a credible restaurant website can help validate what a diner has already learned and give them confidence to move forward with an order.
Restaurants looking to improve their visibility in AI search can focus on a few high-impact fundamentals:
- Keep business information accurate everywhere: Hours, location, menu details and ordering information should be current across the restaurant’s website and Google Business Profile.
- Make the website specific and useful: Clearly describe the restaurant’s cuisine, popular dishes and other details that help search tools understand what makes the business relevant to a particular diner.
- Keep reviews active and current: A steady stream of recent customer feedback gives diners more context and strengthens the restaurant’s broader online presence.
- Answer the questions diners actually ask: Information about dietary options, delivery, pickup or other common needs can help a restaurant appear for more specific searches.
As AI becomes another entry point into restaurant discovery, the fundamentals of online visibility matter even more. Restaurants that make their business easy to understand online will be better positioned to reach diners wherever they begin their search.
The survey was commissioned by Menufy and conducted by Dynata, the world’s largest first-party data company. The survey was conducted in September 2026 of 1,000 U.S. consumers 18 years and older to understand how consumers use AI to discover restaurants.
