People aren't just using Google anymore. They're asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI search engines where to eat. And here's the problem: when someone asks an AI "Where should I eat near Boston?" that AI isn't just searching for those exact words.
It's breaking that question into multiple searches behind the scenes. Your restaurant might show up for one of them. Or none of them. And you have no idea which.
This is called query fan-out, and it's changing how restaurants get found online.
Here's What's Actually Happening
When someone types "best Italian restaurant near Boston" into ChatGPT, the AI doesn't just search for that exact phrase. It generates multiple related searches to give the person a complete answer. It might search for:
- "Italian restaurants Boston reviews"
- "best pasta near Boston"
- "Italian fine dining Boston North End"
- "Italian BYOB restaurants Boston"
- "where to eat Italian in Boston"
That's five different searches for one question. And your restaurant's website might be perfect for one of those searches but completely invisible for the others.
The AI combines information from all those searches to build its answer. If your restaurant doesn't show up in any of them, the person never hears about you. They get sent to your competitor instead.
Why does the AI do this? Because "best Italian restaurant near Boston" is ambiguous. Does "best" mean highest-rated? Best value? Best for a date? Best for a group dinner? The AI doesn't know. So instead of guessing, it searches for all of those possibilities at once. That's query fan-out, the LLM hedging its bets by covering every interpretation.
Your restaurant needs to show up for all of them, not just one.
This isn't a small thing. This is how AI search works now.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
For the last decade, restaurants have been obsessed with Google rankings. "We need to rank for 'Italian restaurant Boston.'" Fair enough. That made sense when Google was the only game in town.
But 40% of Gen Z doesn't use Google to search anymore. They use AI. And that number keeps climbing.
More importantly, AI is better at deciding what restaurants matter. When someone asks ChatGPT "where should I eat if I want great service and good cocktails," ChatGPT isn't just keyword-matching. It's understanding intent. It's finding restaurants that actually fit what they're looking for.
Your restaurant's website needs to answer all those hidden questions, not just one.
The restaurant owner who understands this wins. The one who doesn't gets buried.
The Problem With Your Current Website
Most restaurant websites are built for people, not for AI. They look good, they have pretty photos, they tell a nice story. But they don't answer the fragmented questions that AI is asking on behalf of your customers.
Here's what's usually missing:
You're not describing what makes you different from multiple angles. Your website might say "fine dining Italian" once. But someone asking "where should I eat for a special occasion" needs to find you. Someone asking "best Italian for groups" needs different language. Someone asking "Italian restaurants with outdoor seating" needs that too. Your website probably doesn't speak to all three.
You're not using the language people actually use when they ask AI. When people talk to AI, they're conversational. They ask questions. "Do you have vegetarian options?" "Can I make a reservation?" "What's the vibe like?" Your website probably has a standard menu and reservation system. It's not written as answers to questions.
You're not showing up for the supporting searches. If someone's deciding between Italian restaurants, they might search for "Italian restaurants with wine lists" or "authentic Italian pasta near Boston" or "romantic Italian dinner Boston." These aren't on your radar. But they're what the AI is searching for.
The Competitive Reality
Here's what's happening right now: some restaurants are already dominating AI search. Others have no presence at all.
The restaurants winning are the ones with detailed, specific content that answers the full range of questions their customers are asking AI. They're showing up for the main query and all the hidden sub-queries.
Your competitor across the street? They might be winning three of those five searches. You might be winning zero.
You don't even know it's happening because you're still tracking Google rankings for one keyword.
This Is an Opportunity, Not Just a Threat
Here's the good news: most restaurants haven't figured this out yet. The owner who moves first wins.
Right now, if your restaurant is genuinely good, you can dominate AI search in your category because most of your competitors haven't optimized for it. They're still thinking about Google rankings from 2015.
But that window is closing fast.
The restaurants optimizing for query fan-out right now are going to own the AI search results in Boston for the next two years. Everyone else will be invisible, watching customers find their neighbors instead.
What This Means for You
This isn't about overhauling your website or hiring a new agency. It's about being strategic with the content you already have.
It means:
- Writing descriptions that answer specific customer questions, not just listing features
- Making sure different aspects of your restaurant (ambiance, food quality, service, value) are clearly articulated throughout your site
- Showing up for the things people actually ask AI about (not just the fancy tagline you wanted)
- Giving AI systems multiple ways to describe and position your restaurant
The restaurants that nail this will get found. The ones that don't will continue to wonder why their phone isn't ringing.
Part Two: How to Win
This is the wake-up call. In the next post, we're breaking down exactly what we do to optimize restaurants for query fan-out—the specific framework we use with our clients to make sure their restaurant shows up for every question an AI customer might ask.
But first, audit yourself: Do a search in ChatGPT or Perplexity for restaurant recommendations in your area. See who shows up. Then look at those winners' websites. Notice how they describe what they do. That's what query fan-out optimization looks like.
If you're not in those results, you need to be.
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