Asking customers for feedback through restaurant surveys can make your checkout system efficient, and help improve your menu, service, and overall guest experience.
But if the guest feedback survey questions are not well-written, you might not get the responses you need. So to gather feedback, ask the right restaurant survey questions that encourage honest and helpful customer answers. To help you do that, we’ve created a list of recommended restaurant survey questions and divided them into categories to help you get the survey responses you’re looking for.
Keep your customer feedback survey brief with no more than 15 questions to receive the maximum number of completed surveys. Once you gather your customer’s feedback, you can implement improvements and provide a better customer experience.
What is a restaurant survey?
A restaurant survey is a series of questions to gain meaningful customer feedback. When conducting restaurant surveys, it’s important to have a clear goal in mind to earn valuable insights. For example, are you interested in learning what customers think about your food quality, your front-of-house team, the restaurant reservations process, or what they think of your restaurant business? Then create a restaurant questionnaire.
Learn more: How to get customer feedback in a restaurant
- Obtain honest feedback: Restaurant surveys allow you to receive unfiltered customer insights and opinions.
- Collect customer data: You can create targeted customer offers, discounts, and promotions by asking questions regarding their visits, favorite food choices, online ordering experience, and any other personal preference.
- Service quality improvement: You can improve your menu and the quality of your customer service experience thanks to the answers you receive in the surveys conducted among customers.
- Track improvements: If you conduct customer surveys regularly, you can check the impact of your actions on improving the customer experience.
- Prevent negative reviews: It’s a good idea to send restaurant surveys to customers and address their complaints before they post them on review sites.
What are the top two questions you need to ask to gain valuable insight?
- What was the best part of your visit?
- What was the worst part of your visit?
To gain insights into your restaurant’s strengths and weaknesses throughout its operation, be sure to ask both questions during your survey.
Gather valuable information automatically with the UpMenu restaurant feedback system.
General restaurant survey questions you should ask
When you conduct restaurant surveys, focus on obtaining details about your customers, such as how they learned about your restaurant, their customer satisfaction, and general information about your business.
1. Is this your first time visiting our restaurant? (Yes or no)
This is one of the most important multiple-choice questions you can ask your customers. First-time dine-in guests and those who ordered meals online should be given extra attention to turn them into returning customers. Consider doing something special for these clients, like giving them a one-time offer for their next order to encourage them to return.
2. How did you learn about our restaurant? (Select from the following options)
By asking this question, you can determine which marketing channels generate the most business. Then, depending on your marketing strategies, you can provide a selection from the answers like a restaurant website, a leaflet, a fan page of a restaurant, etc.
3. How often do you visit our restaurant? (Select from the following options)
To distinguish between new and loyal customers, you can use a multiple-choice survey question for restaurant businesses with answer options such as: This was my first visit, I visit occasionally, I visit once a month, or I visit you every week.
4. Did you benefit from our special promotions or offers during your visit? (Yes or no)
Thanks to this question, you can check if your marketing strategies work. If the customer answers yes, you can ask, Which offer did you use during your visit? Please provide your feedback.
5. On a scale of Very Likely to Very Unlikely, how likely are you to return to our restaurant?
This is a simple way to get to know if your customers enjoyed the visit to your restaurant and if you can expect to see repeat business.
6. How many miles did you travel to visit our restaurant today? Please select the appropriate range: 0-5 miles, 5-10 miles, 10-20 miles, or 20+ miles.
By asking this question, we can learn how far the customer lives from your restaurant, which can help you choose your marketing strategies.
7. Are our operating hours convenient for you? Please explain your response.
This is a great option for investigating if operating hours suit your customers.
8. Do you have any suggestions for making our restaurant more welcoming to families? Please explain your response.
This is a simple way to determine what factors could make your restaurants more family-friendly in the eyes of your customers.
9. Would you recommend our restaurant to family & friends?
The customer could respond on a scale from Very Unlikely to Very Likely. People are unlikely to recommend a place they didn’t enjoy. If you receive numerous negative replies, it indicates that your customers are dissatisfied.
10. What is your age group? Please select from the following answers.
Thanks to this question, you will know who your customers are. Example groups can be anywhere from 18-34, 35-49, 50-64, and over 65.
Food restaurants’ survey questions
Questions about food and drink can offer crucial insights into how customers, including presentation and pricing feedback, receive your menu.
11. What did you order?
This is a good question, especially if other questions regarding portion size, meal presentation, and quality follow it up.
12. How would you rate our menu selection? Please rate from 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent).
This is a simple way to know if your customers enjoyed your menu selection.
13. Was there anything missing from the menu?
You get an idea of the possible menu changes worth considering based on guest feedback.
14. Was your meal a good value for the price? Please explain.
You will find out if the value for money is adequate or needs improvement. In addition, an open question allows you to gain more insight into customer feedback.
15. How would you rate the presentation of your meal? Please rate on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is bad, and 5 is excellent.
Ask this question to determine if you need to work on the meal presentation.
16. Did the portion size meet your expectations? Please provide your feedback.
This way, you check if the dish size is satisfactory or needs improvement.
17. Were the beverages a good value for the price? Please explain.
Discovering whether the value for money is satisfactory or requires improvement can be achieved through an open-ended question that enables you to gain deeper insights into customer feedback.
18. Is there anything about our food that could be improved? If so, what suggestions do you have?
This way, you get feedback on the possible menu changes worth considering.
19. Is there anything about our beverages that could be improved? If so, what suggestions do you have?
As in the previous question, you learn about the possible menu changes worth considering, and you get to know what your customers are looking for.
20. We strive to accommodate all dietary restrictions. If you have any, were they successfully addressed during your visit?
Gathering information on your customers’ dietary restrictions will help you to adjust your restaurant offer to the targeted group. You can easily inform your customers about dietary ingredients of meals using built-in labels in online ordering system. These labels can be shown on your menu at the restaurant website.
Customer service restaurant survey questions
A restaurant’s survey questions focused on customer service can provide valuable feedback on the impression your team is making on guests and how well the staff represents your restaurant’s brand identity.
21. How long did it take for you to be greeted upon arrival?
An open-ended question that will show you the speed of your customer service.
22. How long did you wait before being escorted to your table?
An answer to this question will help you verify the speed of service in your customer interactions.
23. Who was your designated server today?
This is a good question, especially if you want to determine which servers are best at their job and who needs support and additional training.
24. Was your server attentive and helpful? Please explain your response.
This is a good way to investigate if your servers need additional training.
25. Did your server anticipate your needs and requests proactively? Please explain your response.
By asking for an explanation, you can recognize your customers’ needs and make improvements to adjust to them.
26. Did your server make any suggestions or recommendations?
If, for example, you offer menu specials, in this way, you will check if your servers recommend them. If not, they probably require additional training. This can give you important customer feedback on how your staff are performing.
27. Did you feel that the service was rushed during your meal?
This is important information, as the client should feel satisfied and taken care of. If they don’t, you need to improve the atmosphere in your restaurant.
28. Were the different courses of your meal adequately spaced out?
An important question about the quality of service. In some restaurants, meals are served too quickly and get cold on the table because the customer still needs to finish eating the previous dish.
29. Did the waiter offer you dessert or coffee after your meal?
Asking customers about it is an excellent way to show you care about their satisfaction.
30. Did the restaurant manager visit your table to conduct a satisfaction check during your dining experience?
In this way, you will check your staff’s attitude towards customers.
Restaurant survey questions regarding your facilities
Asking facilities questions can help you understand customers’ opinions on your restaurant’s atmosphere. Remember that the ambiance of your restaurant is the first thing that catches a customer’s attention upon entering. Even if you have put considerable effort and resources into establishing your restaurant, if customers find it, for example, too noisy or difficult to read the menu, they won’t come again.
31. Is there anything that we can do to improve accessibility?
This open-ended question gives valuable information on the restaurant’s accessibility.
32. Did you have any difficulty finding our restaurant?
A simple yes or no question, where you determine if customers need additional information about the restaurant’s location and getting there.
33. Did you encounter any issues with parking? Kindly answer with a yes or no.
Especially important if your restaurant is accessible by car only.
34. Did you find the seats and tables to be comfortable? Please respond with a yes or no.
Thanks to this question, you will determine if the customers feel comfortable.
35. Were the bathrooms and other facilities clean? Please respond with a yes or no.
Thanks to this question, you will determine if the restaurant’s cleanliness needs improvement.
36. How would you describe the restaurant’s atmosphere using three adjectives?
This is an open-ended question that gives a customer the ability to share their experience. You can then use this knowledge to make improvements in your restaurant.
37. How would you rate the music volume? Kindly choose from the following options.
The options to select from are too loud, too soft, or just right.
Restaurant survey questions regarding your technologies
Questions about technology can offer feedback on the accessibility and functionality of your systems. These may include questions about your online ordering provider, tableside ordering, restaurant online reservation system, restaurant mobile app, restaurant loyalty program, and other tools.
38. Which platform did you use to place an online order?
The possible replies to this question could be
- a restaurant website
- UberEats
- GrubHub
- DoorDash
- Other – please place the name
You can use a website builder if you still need to get your restaurant website yet, you can use a website builder. Here we described how to create a restaurant website. Then, to encourage your customers to place orders directly from your website, you can create your restaurant loyalty program and offer them to join it.
39. Did you find viewing our menu on your phone convenient? Please respond with a yes or no, and explain if necessary.
Thanks to this question, you get valuable feedback on the mobile version of your restaurant website.
40. Was our checkout process easy to use and efficient? Please respond with a yes or no, and elaborate on your answer.
This question helps determine the customer’s overall user experience while ordering from your restaurant website. Providing a smooth checkout is essential.
41. Would you prefer to pay your bill through your server or QR code menu?
The QR code menu is a great way to improve customer service and increase revenue.
42. If you placed a food order online, how long did it take for your food to arrive?
This is an open-ended, vital question to ask customers who order food online if it was delivered on time. You can also give options, such as 30 to 60 minutes, 60 to 90 minutes, or over 90 minutes. The customers’ response can help you determine if you need to improve your estimated wait time and make your food preparation and delivery process faster.
43. Was your order correct?
This is an important question to ask. If you are using a food ordering system generally, there are fewer mistakes than in the case of phone orders, but still, errors can happen. If so, determine the root cause to enhance the customer experience.
44. Was the food warm when you received it?
Especially while offering online ordering, you must ensure that food arrives in good shape and at the right temperature. Ideally, it should be warm. If you get negative feedback, rethink your delivery and food packaging methods. An alternative way of asking about the food’s warmth and appearance could be the following question:
45. If you placed a food order online, how would you rate the taste and appearance of your food upon receiving it? Please rate on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is bad, and 5 is excellent.
Asking the right survey questions can result in useful information that cannot be used to enhance your restaurant. Follow these rules while preparing restaurant survey questions:
- Don’t ask questions that limit responses to yes or no
- Ask questions that encourage detailed responses
- Keep a question simple. Don’t use a group of questions in one question
- Do not use questions that suggest a particular answer
- Evaluate your survey’s effectiveness through testing before sending it out
5 Tools for taking restaurant survey questions
We already know what kind of restaurant survey questions
to ask our guests. Now we need to determine how to receive answers to your questions. As you know, customers eating at a restaurant won’t spend their time filling in questionnaires. Hence, you need to use other data collection methods.
1. Online ordering system
If your restaurant website has a food ordering system, check if collecting customer reviews is a built-in feature. In UpMenu, you can collect customer feedback on their orders and publish them on your restaurant website if you want to.
2. Restaurant mobile app
As in the case of collecting reviews placed on a restaurant website, you can also enable this option on your mobile app for restaurants. Customers can rate the order after its completion. In addition, you can use in-app messaging to send questions to your restaurant guests and show appreciation for their time in responding.
3. Restaurant loyalty program
According to QSRMagazine, individuals who enroll in loyalty programs tend to visit restaurants 20% more frequently and spend 20% more than they typically would have had they not joined. In UpMenu, you can create a restaurant loyalty program.
You can offer exclusive rewards to encourage your loyal customers to participate in restaurant surveys. This will make them feel valued and increase their engagement with your restaurant.
- A study by Harvard Business Review found that it costs between 5 and 25 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.
- Another study by Small Business Trends found that increasing customer retention by 5% can lead to an increase in profits of between 25% and 95%.
4. SMS texts or emails
One of the ways to get direct feedback from clients is by sending text messages or emails. Doing so allows you to receive survey responses directly from clients and makes collecting them easy.
5. Restaurant website forms
Another option worth considering is creating restaurant surveys and placing them on your website. You can promote this survey on your social media channels.
- UpMenu (UpMenu automatically collects reviews from customers during the ordering process)
- Google Forms
- Jotform
- SurveyMonkey
- SurveyLab
Measuring Net Promoter Score (NPS) for a restaurant
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric used by businesses to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction. It is based on the likelihood of customers recommending a company, product or service to others.
The NPS score ranges from -100 (all customers are detractors) to 100 ( all customers are promoters). A score above 0 is considered good, while anything above that is considered great or excellent.
Measuring the Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a commonly used method to determine customer loyalty and satisfaction in the restaurant industry.
- According to a study by CustomerGauge, the average Net Promoter Score for the restaurant industry in North America is 30.
- A study conducted by Medallia found that a one-point increase in NPS for a restaurant can lead to an increase of up to 5% in revenue.
- Another study conducted by Retently found that the average NPS for fast-food restaurants in the United States is 27, while the average NPS for casual dining restaurants is 39.
- According to a survey by OpenTable, customers who give a restaurant a rating of 4 or 5 stars (out of 5) are 44% more likely to recommend the restaurant to others than customers who give a rating of 3 stars or below.
You can use NPS in your restaurant to check how many customers promote your business. If you notice any drops in your numbers then consider evaluating what may be the cause of this.
How to use the feedback you received
Once you’ve gathered guest feedback, you can start making changes. Otherwise, the effort put into the surveys is pointless. Of course, you won’t be able to address every problem, and it’s worth prioritizing them.
- Pay attention to and solve serious problems related to the health of customers and the availability of the restaurant first: The examples of situations that could be of the highest importance include the following:
- A customer cannot eat gluten. They informed the staff about it and then got a gluten-containing meal
- A waiter serving the customer was rude
- A customer in a wheelchair couldn’t access the restaurant due to the stairs and lack of entrance for the disabled
- Monitor patterns to identify potential areas for improvement: Check whether it’s a trend or a one-off for issues and comments related to personal preferences before implementing improvements. Analyze guest reviews at regular intervals, e.g., once a week. Examples of situations that could result from personal preferences or signal a problem could be:
- A customer says that the meal was too cold.
- A customer reports that the restaurant was too dark.
- A customer says that the music was too loud.
- Encourage customers to complete the survey: Offer your customers something in return for answering your restaurant service survey questions, e.g., a voucher
- Match the survey questions to your restaurant: Consider what areas you want to explore and create a questionnaire on this base.
- Make sure to inform your guests about the modifications you’ve made based on your restaurant survey: This demonstrates that you value their feedback and are dedicated to enhancing their dining experience.
- Respond to social reviews on your restaurant’s social media channels: It is crucial to do this to ensure customer satisfaction and foster a sense of connection with your restaurant.
Key Takeaways
- Conducting a restaurant survey gives five benefits, which include: obtaining customers feedback, collecting data about customers, preventing negative reviews, service quality improvement, and tracking these improvements.
- The main groups of restaurant survey questions include general, food and drink, customer service, facilities, and technology questions.
- Good survey questions are simple, encouraging and concern one topic at a time.
- Having loyal customers is more profitable than acquiring new ones.
- You can use an online ordering system for collecting customer reviews.
- NPS is a commonly used method to determine customer loyalty and satisfaction in the restaurant industry.
- Use customer feedback to solve serious problems regarding the health of customers and the availability of the restaurant first.
- Identify areas for improvement by monitoring trends.
- Inform customers about the improvements you make.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are 5 good survey questions?
Here are five excellent survey questions for restaurants that can help glean insightful client feedback:
- How pleased were you with the quality of our food, on a scale of 1 to 10?
- Was our selection of menu items to your liking?
- How would you rate our staff’s overall performance during your visit?
- Was the restaurant atmosphere inviting?
- Would you advise others to eat at our restaurant?
What are the 10 survey questions?
It’s crucial to get opinions on various customer experience factors when polling diners in a restaurant. Ten possible survey questions are shown below:
- How would you rate your overall satisfaction with your meal at our restaurant?
- What would you say about the standard of the meals at our restaurant?
- Did our dishes meet your dietary preferences and expectations?
- What would you say about our service team’s promptness and effectiveness?
- Did the atmosphere of our restaurant give you a pleasurable dining experience?
- Were the menu items’ prices fair and consistent with their quality?
- Did your dishes arrive in a timely manner?
- How likely are you to tell your friends or coworkers about our restaurant?
- Would you like to see a certain dish or menu item added or improved?
- Did the service feel rushed, or could you enjoy your meals peacefully?
Survey questions to ask when opening a restaurant
Conducting a poll before launching a restaurant can be useful for getting opinions and ideas from potential clients. Here are a few survey questions to ask before launching a restaurant:
- What cuisine type do you think is missing in this area?
- How often do you eat out in restaurants?
- What amount are you willing to spend on a meal at a restaurant?
- What kind of dining setting appeals to you?
- How likely are you to try a brand-new eatery in your neighborhood?
- What aspects—such as a restaurant’s location, cuisine, or special offers—would tempt you to try it out?
- What are the primary annoyances you frequently face when dining out?
- What extra features or facilities would you want in a new restaurant to improve your eating experience?
- Do you have any specific advice or recommendations for a new restaurant that is about to launch in your neighborhood?
Why would you include filter questions in a restaurant survey
A restaurant survey’s filter questions can guarantee that respondents only respond to pertinent questions based on their unique experiences or traits. Several benefits of filter questions include the following:
- Personalized Feedback: Filter questions let you customize the survey process based on certain factors like how frequently clients eat out or their dietary preferences. This enables you to collect feedback that is specifically relevant to each respondent and offers more individualized insights.
- Effective Data Collection: You can reroute respondents to relevant areas of the survey by using filter questions. This speeds up the survey process and stops participants from responding to items that do not concern them. Both the survey administrator and the responders benefit from time savings.
- Targeted Analysis: By including filter questions, you can divide and analyze survey data according to various standards. For instance, you can independently examine feedback from non-frequent diners or compare replies from vegetarian and non-vegetarian consumers.
- Improved Survey Experience: You show that you value respondents’ ideas and respect their time by customizing the survey questions to their unique situations. This may increase engagement and survey participation rates, producing more insightful and helpful feedback.
What to say on survey questions for restaurant applications
What to say on survey questions for restaurant applications
Compiling pertinent details about your candidates’ qualifications, experience, and availability is crucial when developing survey questions for restaurant applications. You can use the following examples of survey questions:
1. Individual Data:
- Full Name:
- Contact Information (Tel. and Email):
- Address:
2. Availability:
- Which days and what time slots are you open for work?
- Do you have any openings on the weekends and on holidays?
- Are you looking for full- or part-time work?
3. Experience:
- How long have you been working in the restaurant business?
- Have you ever held a comparable job? If so, kindly provide us with more details.
- Do you have any experience with particular cuisines or restaurant types?
4. Knowledge and Certifications:
- Do you possess any formal training or credentials? If so, be specific.
- Are you knowledgeable about good hygiene and food safety practices?
- Do you feel at ease working in a fast-paced setting?
5. Favorite Jobs:
- What job are you attempting to get? (Server, chef, host or hostess, etc.)
- Do you have a preference for any certain jobs or duties over others?
- Are you willing to switch up your training and take on new responsibilities?
6. Customer Service:
- How would you describe your approach to providing excellent customer service?
- Can you share an example of a challenging customer service situation you’ve handled and how you resolved it?
7. Teamwork and Communication:
- How do you effectively communicate and collaborate with team members in a restaurant setting?
- Have you worked in a team-oriented environment before? If yes, please describe your experience.
8. Additional Information:
- Is there anything else you would like to share about your qualifications or why you are interested in working at our restaurant?
