Google Will Now Tell You The Average Wait Time For A Restaurant
When the food at a restaurant is really good and/or becomes extremely popular, you know that the lines are gonna be long. For some, it’s totally worth it. Of course, we also know that one person whose favorite chicken joint gets a three hour wait as a result and sends texts of frustration. If you’re that friend or know someone who matches that description perfectly, this new Google feature is just what the doctor ordered.
Starting today, about one million restaurants will gain the new “Average Wait Time” feature when you search them on Google via mobile or desktop. By scrolling down to the Popular Times section of the search results, you’ll be able to see the current waiting period for the eatery in question. You can also tap on each hour to see the average wait time for each, making planning dinners, dates, and whole squad outings a lot easier since you can now estimate how long you’ll have to wait.
Of course, the system isn’t a guarantee that you’ll only be there for that average wait time. You could end up in line for more or less time based on all different kinds of factors, like traffic while getting there, a sudden rush of unexpected guests, or other people trying to game the system that end up clogging it instead. If that happens, you’ll have to either practice patience or head somewhere else for a quick food fix.
Google’s aiming to roll this feature out onto their Maps app and to more restaurants as time progresses. They also aim to have grocery stores on there “in time for Thanksgiving shopping,” according to a press release. Thus, you can attempt to beat as much of the holiday shopping rush as possible by using the feature to beat everyone else to the turkeys and trimmings.
