20 restaurant survey questions

Customer feedback is a critical part of creating a successful restaurant. Not only do you need to consider the guest experience, but you also need to be intentional about making sure the menu options match the preferences of your target demographic.

Even the most careful restaurant business plan can have weak points that could impact a customer’s decision to return in the future. The best way to stay ahead of your customer’s needs is to use restaurant survey questions to gather feedback about their experience.

Gathering customer feedback

It’s not practical to have a face-to-face conversation with every customer who walks through the door. Instead, you can obtain their feedback through a survey. For years, restaurant owners used comment cards in the restaurant to get feedback. Now, technology offers more effective ways to gather data quickly and efficiently.

Digital customer feedback is a simple and effective way to learn more about your customer’s dining experience. For example, you might send a digital survey link via email or a text when the person receives a digital receipt. You can share restaurant survey questions on your website or social media platforms.

Asking the right questions

If you want the most useful information from this feedback, then you need to ask the right restaurant survey questions. Use a mix of open-ended questions and multiple-choice questions so customers can provide clear feedback while also having a chance to share their opinions. It’s best to limit the use of yes-no questions because the answers don’t give you actionable data.

Keep the survey to a few essential questions. When a customer feedback survey is too long, most people won’t take the time to read all of the questions. Decide which questions are most applicable to your current business needs. Then, consider rotating the questions in the future so you can get different types of feedback throughout the year.

Categories for restaurant survey questions

The simplest way to design your restaurant survey is by selecting questions from the following categories:

• General questions
• Food and drink questions
• Customer service questions
• Facilities questions

Since every restaurant is unique, no two surveys will be the same. You need to consider the unique offerings of your business to determine which survey questions will provide useful information. You can start with these ideas.

General questions

1. How did you hear about us?
2. How often do you visit our restaurant?
3. How likely is it that you will come back?
4. How likely is it that you will recommend our restaurant to a friend?
5. How can we better serve you in the future?
6. Do you have any other feedback to share?

Food and drink questions

1. What did you like about the menu?
2. What did you dislike about the menu?
3. Is there anything you’d like to see on the menu?
4. Was the preparation of your meal satisfactory?
5. If you have dietary restrictions, did the restaurant accommodate those needs?

Customer service questions

1. Who was your server today?
2. Was the service welcoming and friendly?
3. How did you feel about the speed of service?
4. Did our staff meet your needs?
5. How would you rate the overall experience?

Facilities questions

1. Was the music too loud?
2. How would you rate the cleanliness of the bathrooms and dining rooms?
3. Is our restaurant family-friendly?
4. Were the seats comfortable?

Use survey results to improve your restaurant

Even though you can’t make every customer happy, you can use restaurant survey questions to gather valuable information to improve your business. Plus, gathering this information gives customers a platform to share their experience before they post on public review sites.

The goal of gathering survey feedback is to identify solutions that enable you to improve the way you manage your restaurant. Watch for trends to find potential areas of improvement. As you act on this information, you can use it to help your business grow by increasing the likelihood of repeat business.

Easy solutions for creating restaurant surveys

Building a survey doesn’t have to be difficult. At Jotform, we streamline this process by offering more than 300+ survey templates you can use. It’s simple: Pick a template, add your restaurant survey questions, and then view the reports to gain valuable insights about your customers. 

If you don’t want to use one of the premade survey templates, you also have the option to design a personalized survey form from scratch.