Google to show estimated wait times so you can skip the line at your favorite restaurant
A line-up outside Brooklyn’s famous Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. Image: pedrosala/istock.com via AFP Relaxnews
Before heading out to the popular pizzeria across town on a hungry stomach, diners are being promised they can look up estimated wait times in a simple Google search.
The new feature is similar to the app Nowait, which likewise shows users the current wait times for nearby chain restaurants like Chili’s and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Set to roll out soon, the new feature will be available for about a million sit-down restaurants around the world on both Google Search and Google Maps.
Wait times are based on anonymized data aggregated from users who opted in to Google Location History.
The displayed wait time is based on patterns of customer visits over the last several weeks.
After finding the restaurant on Google, the feature can be activated by opening the business listing, and scrolling down to the “Popular Times” section.
Users will be shown the estimated wait time at that very moment.
Tapping on the restaurant or bar hours of operation will also display the estimated wait time for that period. JB
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