What matters on a restaurant's Google Business Profile is that people who follow it don't make a wasted trip: hours (including holidays and your weekly closing day), menu, booking link and photos should all match reality. When people look for somewhere to eat on Google Maps, or ask AI for brunch nearby that's open now, this is often what gets read. Once it's out of date, people arrive to find you closed or can't order what they came for, and disappointment easily becomes a bad review. Below: hours, menu, booking and photos, reviews, and a monthly checklist.
1. Manage three kinds of hours
Hours go wrong easily because they keep changing. Manage them in three parts: regular hours, your weekly closing day, and holidays and one-off changes.
- Regular hours: if you close between lunch and dinner, enter two separate periods rather than one long block
- Weekly closing day: set it as closed, don't leave it blank
- Holidays and one-off changes: Lunar New Year, long weekends and in-house events, set ahead of time with your profile's special hours
- Temporary closure or a move: mark it the way the Business Profile provides, not just in a social media post
Change the hours on your website the same day. When your website and profile disagree, neither AI nor diners know which to trust.
2. Put the menu in text and update it each season
Many restaurants have a menu that's a single photo. Photos look good to people, but AI may not read the text in them. Put a text menu on both your website and your profile: dish names, a one-line description, how many people it serves, spice level, and vegetarian or adjustable options (as you actually make them). When the season or menu changes, update the website, profile and delivery platforms together, and don't leave old versions around.
3. Sold-out signature dishes and seasonal items
Coming for one dish and finding it sold out or discontinued is a common disappointment. Mark limited dishes as limited daily on the menu; give seasonal dishes the season they're served; remove discontinued dishes from the menus on your website and profile. When something sells out early, say so on your LINE Official Account or social media so regulars don't make the trip for nothing.
| Common situation | What diners run into | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday hours changed but not updated | Arrive at the hours shown on Google and find you closed | Set special hours before the holiday and update the website too |
| Weekly closing day not listed | A wasted trip on your day off | Set that day as closed in regular hours |
| Menu changed but the old one is online | Can't order what they saw online | Update the website and profile menus together each season |
| Signature dish often sells out | Come specially and miss it | Mark it limited daily, and post on LINE or social media when it's gone |
| Booking link broken | Want to book but can't | Click the booking link once a month to check it works |
| Moved or temporarily closed | Find the old address | Update the address, or mark the profile as temporarily closed |
4. Booking link and photos
If you take bookings, add a booking link to your profile that goes to your website, LINE or booking system, and click it once a month to make sure it still works. For photos, show the storefront (so people recognize the entrance), the seating area, signature dishes and the menu, as they really are, with no heavy editing. The profile also has attributes you can tick, such as vegetarian options, good for kids or parking; tick what's actually true, and note that the available options are whatever Google offers.
5. Reply to reviews
Reply to every review: thank people for good ones, and explain how you're handling bad ones, calmly. Don't trade gifts or discounts for reviews or write reviews yourself; it breaks Google's rules, and in serious cases reviews may be removed. When a review mentions wrong hours or an outdated menu, take it as a reminder to check your profile.
6. Monthly checklist
- Any holidays, closures or events next month, and are special hours set
- Do the hours on your website and profile match
- Any seasonal changes, discontinued or new dishes on the menu
- Does the booking link still open
- Do the photos still match reality
- Have all of this month's reviews been answered
The short version
Keep the hours, menu and booking link on your restaurant's Google Business Profile matching reality, and diners won't make wasted trips while AI has accurate details to read.
Frequently asked questions
- How often should I check our hours?
- Once a month, plus once more before a holiday. When hours change, update the website and profile on the same day.
- Does the menu really need to be in text?
- We'd recommend it. Keep the photo for people, and add a text menu so AI and search engines can read what you serve.
- Can I offer a discount for reviews?
- Better not. Rewarding reviews breaks Google's rules. You can invite diners to leave an honest review at checkout or on LINE, with no strings attached.
- What if someone changes our profile details incorrectly?
- Google Maps lets users suggest edits, and details sometimes get changed. Check during your monthly review and correct anything wrong in your profile.