60 Restaurant Survey Questions to Ask Guests
The best restaurant survey questions are short, specific, and tied to a decision you can act on: overall experience, food, service, ambiance, ordering, and one open question about what to improve.
Keep a routine survey to about eight questions, open with an easy rating, and ask while the visit is still fresh.
Below are 60 restaurant survey questions grouped by category, plus a ready-to-use 8-question template.
What is a restaurant survey?
A restaurant survey is a short set of questions guests answer after a visit or an online order, so you can measure satisfaction and find specific problems to fix.
Unlike public reviews, answers come to you privately — you hear about a cold delivery before it becomes a one-star rating. That matters: in BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey, 31% of consumers said they only use businesses rated 4.5 stars or higher, up from 17% a year earlier.
The 8 questions every restaurant survey needs
If you only send one survey, send this one. It covers the visit end to end, opens with an easy rating, and every answer points to someone who can act on it.
Question | Answer format | What the answer tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 scale | Your headline score — track it weekly and by location |
| 1–5 scale | Kitchen consistency: recipes, prep, or plating |
| 1–5 scale | Front-of-house gaps: staffing, training, or a specific shift |
| Yes / No / Took too long | Kitchen pacing or quoted wait times need fixing |
| Yes / No | Errors in order-taking, tickets, or packing |
| 1–5 scale | A gap between price, portion, and quality |
| 0–10 | Your Net Promoter Score (NPS) — a 0–6 flags a guest at risk |
| Open-ended | The fix you didn't think to ask about |
Use these eight as your standard restaurant customer satisfaction survey, and swap in questions from the categories below when you need to dig deeper.
How to build a restaurant survey guests finish
Survey length is the biggest lever on completion. SurveyMonkey's analysis of surveys on its platform found that 10-question surveys averaged an 89% completion rate, falling to 79% at 40 questions.
The first question matters too: surveys that opened with a simple multiple-choice question averaged 89% completion, versus 83% for those that opened with a comment box.
- Keep routine surveys to 5–10 questions: save longer lists for a one-off deep dive, like after a menu change.
- Open with a rating, close with one open question: one comment box is enough to explain the scores.
- Ask one thing per question: “How were the food and service?” gives you an answer you can't act on.
- Use neutral wording: ask “How was your meal?”, not “How much did you enjoy our delicious meal?”
- Branch by order type: use skip logic so delivery guests never see table-service questions.
- Ask while the visit is fresh: ask at the table for dine-in and right after delivery for online orders. Test it on your phone first.
Overall experience and visit questions
The first question matters more than it looks—it tells you who to win back.
Sixty percent of your customers ordered only once. They haven't left — they're just waiting for you to reach out.
- Is this your first visit? (Yes / No)
- How did you hear about us? (Google / Social media / Friend / Delivery app / Walked by / Other)
- How often do you visit us? (First time / A few times a year / Monthly / Weekly or more)
- Overall, how satisfied are you with your visit? (1–5 scale)
- What was the best part of your visit? (Open-ended)
- What was the worst part of your visit? (Open-ended)
- What's one thing we could do better? (Open-ended)
- How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague? (0–10)
Food survey questions
Ask about specific attributes instead of one “How was the food?” — each answer points to a fix in the kitchen.
- What did you order? (Open-ended or menu pick list)
- How would you rate the quality of your food? (1–5 scale)
- Was your food served at the right temperature? (Yes / Too hot / Too cold)
- How would you rate the presentation of your dish? (1–5 scale)
- Did the portion size meet your expectations? (Too small / Just right / Too large)
- Was your meal good value for the price? (1–5 scale)
- How would you rate our drinks? (1–5 scale)
- Were your dietary needs or allergies handled correctly? (Yes / No / Didn't apply)
- Which dish would you order again? (Open-ended)
- Is there a dish you'd like to see on our menu? (Open-ended)
Customer service survey questions
Service questions show which shifts, roles, or team members need support. Ask about behaviors you can train.
- Were you greeted promptly when you arrived? (Yes / No)
- How long did you wait to be seated? (No wait / Under 5 min / 5–15 min / 15+ min)
- Who was your server today? (Name list / Don't remember)
- How would you rate your server's attentiveness? (1–5 scale)
- Could your server answer questions about the menu? (Yes / No / Didn't ask)
- Did your server recommend any dishes or specials? (Yes / No)
- Were your courses well paced? (Too fast / Just right / Too slow)
- Did your food arrive in a reasonable time? (Yes / No / Took too long)
- Did a manager check on your table? (Yes / No)
- How would you rate the service you received? (1–5 scale)
Ambiance and facilities survey questions
Catch the details you stop noticing when you're in the room every day.
- How would you describe our atmosphere in three words? (Open-ended)
- Was the dining area clean? (Yes / No)
- Were the restrooms clean and well stocked? (Yes / No / Didn't use them)
- How was the music volume? (Too loud / Just right / Too quiet)
- Were the seats and tables comfortable? (Yes / No)
- How was the dining room temperature? (Too warm / Just right / Too cold)
- Was parking easy? (Yes / No / Didn't drive)
- Could everyone in your group move around comfortably, including with a stroller or wheelchair? (Yes / No / Didn't apply)
Online ordering, takeout and delivery survey questions
Off-premise guests judge you on ordering, timing, and packaging. If orders come through your own food ordering system, send these right after delivery or pickup.
- How did you place your order? (Our website / Our app / Phone / Delivery app — which one?)
- How easy was it to place your order? (1–5 scale)
- Was our menu easy to browse on your phone? (Yes / No)
- Was checkout quick and easy? (Yes / No — what slowed you down?)
- Was your order ready or delivered on time? (Yes / No)
- Was your food at the right temperature when it arrived? (Yes / No)
- Did the packaging arrive intact, with no spills? (Yes / No)
- Was your order correct and complete? (Yes / No — what was wrong?)
- Was our pickup or delivery staff friendly? (Yes / No / Didn't interact)
- How could we improve takeout and delivery? (Open-ended)
Reservation and payment survey questions
If you take bookings through a restaurant reservation system, add these for guests who reserved.
- How did you book your table? (Online / Phone / Walk-in)
- How easy was it to make your reservation? (1–5 scale)
- Was your table ready when you arrived? (Yes / No — how long did you wait?)
- How would you prefer to pay? (With your server / QR code at the table / At the counter)
- Was paying quick and easy? (Yes / No)
- Did you use a promotion, coupon, or gift card today? (Yes / No — which one?)
Survey questions to ask before opening a restaurant
Before you sign a lease, survey people who live or work nearby. Share a short concept and a few sample dishes with prices, then compare the answers with your restaurant target market.
- How far from [location] do you live or work? (Under 1 mile / 1–3 miles / Over 3 miles)
- How often do you eat out or order takeout? (Several times a week / Weekly / A few times a month / Rarely)
- What type of food is hard to find around here? (Multiple choice + Other)
- How likely are you to try a new restaurant like this one? (1–5 scale)
- How much would you expect to pay for a main dish here? (Price ranges)
- Would you be more likely to dine in, pick up, or order delivery? (Dine in / Pickup / Delivery / A mix)
- Which meals would you come for? (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Late night)
- What annoys you most when you eat out around here? (Open-ended)
How to collect restaurant survey answers
Match the channel to the moment — and the number of questions to the channel.
Channel | Best for | Questions | When to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
QR code on the table or receipt | Dine-in, quick service | 3–5 | Before the guest leaves |
Post-order request in your ordering system or app | Online orders, pickup, delivery | 3–5 + one comment | Right after delivery or pickup |
Reservations, regulars, online orders | 5–10 | Same day | |
SMS | Takeout and delivery | 1–3 (or a link) | Right after the order arrives |
Tablet or kiosk near the exit | Counter service, cafés | 1–3 | At checkout |
Staff at the table | Small and fine-dining venues | 1–2, asked verbally | During the check-back |
UpMenu's restaurant feedback software asks guests for feedback after dine-in and online orders — by QR code, email, or in your branded app.
Guests rate the food, delivery, and price and can add a comment. You can reply by email, show selected reviews on your website, and link your Google or TripAdvisor profile so guests can also review you publicly.
How to measure Net Promoter Score (NPS) in a restaurant survey
NPS comes from one question: “How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?” on a 0–10 scale.
Following Bain & Company's method, guests who answer 9–10 are promoters, 0–6 are detractors, and NPS is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors.
Example: 200 guests respond — 110 give 9–10 (55%), 60 give 7–8 (30%), and 30 give 0–6 (15%). Your NPS is 55 − 15 = 40.
What to do with restaurant survey results
- Fix safety and access issues the same day. An allergen mistake, a guest who couldn't get in with a wheelchair, or rude behavior from staff needs a personal reply and an internal fix.
- Look for patterns, not one-offs. Review answers weekly. One “too dark” is a preference; the same comment from several guests is a lighting problem. Compare results across shifts and locations.
- Follow up with unhappy guests. Reply to low scores personally and give the guest a reason to come back. Tag first-time and unhappy guests in your restaurant CRM for a tailored follow-up.
- Close the loop. Tell guests what changed: “You asked for more vegan options — they're on the menu now.” Guests who see results are more willing to answer next time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep it short, ask right after the visit, and start with an easy rating. Say why you're asking and show that past feedback led to changes.
Yes. A small thank-you for a private survey — a free dessert or bonus points from your loyalty program for restaurants — is fine. Never tie a reward to a public review or a positive score.
Run a short survey after every visit or order. Add a longer one-off survey only when something changes, like a new menu.
About the author
Marketing Manager
Leads UpMenu's marketing and helps restaurants grow. Writes about restaurant marketing, branding, websites, menu design, and opening a restaurant — from pizzerias and food trucks to coffee shops and ghost kitchens. Digital marketer driven by data and AI — for 6+ years working with restaurants.