40% of well-listed restaurants were never named by ChatGPT or Gemini
Of 101 restaurants that Google Maps lists first in four US cities, 40 were not named in any of 24 ChatGPT and Gemini answers about their cuisine and city (November 2026). Only 24% were named in at least half of their answers.
- 40 of 101 restaurants (40%) were never named.
- 37 more were named, but in fewer than half of their answers.
- 24 (24%) were named in half or more of their answers.
The numbers
- 101 restaurants, 16 city and cuisine groups, 24 answers each.
- Never named: Italian 11 of 23 (48%), Mexican 13 of 30 (43%), Indian 8 of 21 (38%), Thai 8 of 27 (30%).
- By city: Austin 14 of 33 (42%), Nashville 10 of 24 (42%), Denver 8 of 21 (38%), San Diego 8 of 23 (35%).
Source and method
Frisler Digital Restaurant AI Visibility Study 2026. 101 restaurants that Google Maps lists first for Mexican, Thai, Italian and Indian food in Austin, Denver, Nashville and San Diego. Six everyday questions per city and cuisine (for example “What are the best Thai restaurants in Austin, TX?”), asked to ChatGPT (gpt-5.4-mini) and Gemini (gemini-3.6-flash) with web search on, twice each: 24 answers per restaurant, 383 usable answers in all. A restaurant counted as named if its name appeared in the answer. Collected November 14, 2026.
How to read this
A snapshot of two assistants on one day. The sample is restaurants Google already lists at the top, so an average restaurant is probably less visible. Groups are small (5 to 13 restaurants). A mention is not always a recommendation.
What it suggests
- Being on page one of Google Maps does not put a restaurant in AI answers.
- Check your restaurant in more than one assistant, more than once.
The full study, with all five findings, is the Restaurant AI Visibility Study 2026. You are welcome to quote these figures with a link to this page.
Common questions
Short, direct answers.
What share of restaurants do AI assistants never mention?
In our November 2026 test, 40% of 101 restaurants that Google Maps lists first were never named by ChatGPT or Gemini in 24 answers.
Which cuisine was least visible?
Italian: 11 of 23 Italian restaurants (48%) were never named. Groups were small, so treat this as a rough guide.
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