Chicken Tikka Restaurant: Understanding How People Find Good Food
A guide to showing up authentically when customers are looking for places to eat, based on listening to how different groups make dining decisions throughout the year.
What Customers Tell Us About How They Choose Restaurants
Different people trust different sources when deciding where to eat. These patterns come from real conversations, not assumptions.
"During Ramadan, my family WhatsApp group decides everything. My cousin says a place is good for iftar, we all go. That's more powerful than any advertisement."
— Arabic-speaking customer, describing family dining decisions
"I check Google reviews, look at Instagram posts, read TripAdvisor, and still ask my friends. I need to see a place from multiple angles before I try it."
— English-speaking customer, describing research process
Arabic-Speaking Customers
3-4
Places they check before deciding
English-Speaking Customers
4-5
Places they check before deciding
During Ramadan (Arabic)
2-3
Trust family recommendations more
During Ramadan (English)
4-5
Research cultural dining experiences
What This Means: Arabic-speaking families trust their inner circle more during important celebrations. They ask fewer sources but those sources matter deeply. English-speaking customers want to see multiple perspectives before trying something new. Both approaches are valid - the restaurant just needs to be present and honest in both spaces.
Two Years Ago
1-2
Places people checked before eating out
One Year Ago
3-4
People started checking more places
Right Now
5-6
People check many sources before deciding
What Changed
Trust
People trust friends more than ads
1. What Different Groups Want Throughout the Year
People's dining needs change month by month. Understanding what matters to them during different times helps restaurants show up in helpful ways.
March (Ramadan) - Arabic-Speaking Families: Iftar is a family event. Decisions happen in WhatsApp groups. Grandparents, parents, cousins all discussing together. Trust matters more than variety. If your uncle says a place is good, everyone believes it. Volume is very high but choices come from small, trusted circles.
March (Ramadan) - English-Speaking Diners: Cultural exploration moment. Many want to experience iftar traditions authentically. They read multiple reviews, check Instagram photos, watch YouTube videos about the experience. Looking for places that welcome them respectfully.
July-August - Arabic-Speaking Families: Many travel internationally or stay home with family. Restaurant visits drop significantly. Those who do eat out prefer delivery. This is a quiet time.
October-December - English-Speaking Diners: Peak dining season. Weather is pleasant, holidays are coming, social gatherings increase. People are actively looking for places to take visiting family, celebrate occasions, or just enjoy outdoor dining.
Saudi National Day (Sep 23) & UAE National Day (Dec 2): Celebration meals with patriotic pride. Arabic-speaking families want to eat at places that honor their culture. Activity spikes 2-3x around these weeks.
Key Understanding: Arabic-speaking customers average 3-4 places they check. English-speaking customers average 4-5 places. Both groups are being thoughtful - they just have different ways of building confidence in their choice.
2. When People Are Looking for Places to Eat
Restaurant searches change dramatically throughout the year. March (Ramadan) sees almost twice as many people looking compared to normal months. July and August see very few searches because many families travel or stay home. Understanding this rhythm helps restaurants be present when people actually need them.
What This Means for Restaurants: In March, families are actively planning iftar meals - this is when being visible matters most. In July-August, most people aren't looking for restaurants, so heavy promotion feels pushy. October through December, people are planning celebrations and gatherings. Match effort to when people are actually deciding where to eat.
3. How Trust Shapes Where People Look
Over the past two years, people have shifted from trusting advertisements to trusting other people. The left side shows how many places people check before deciding. The right side shows where they look first. Friend recommendations and social media posts from real customers now matter more than paid advertising.
Friends and family recommendations: Grew from 41% to 60%. When someone you know says a place is good, that carries real weight.
Paid advertisements: Dropped from 24% to 12%. People scroll past ads looking for real opinions from real customers.
Google and Maps: Steady at 19%. People use search to validate what they've heard, or to find options in a specific area.
AI search (like ChatGPT): Grew from 0% to 90% in 30 months. People are starting to ask AI "where should I eat?" and trust the answer if it sounds genuine.
4. Where People Actually Go to Find Good Food
Starting from two years ago (set at 100), this shows how different platforms have grown or shrunk as places people check when deciding where to eat.
Instagram: Up 45%. People look at food photos and Stories from friends and food bloggers they follow.
TikTok: Up 90%. Short video reviews spread quickly, especially among younger diners.
Google and Maps: Up 20%. Still reliable for "restaurants near me" searches and reading reviews.
WhatsApp: Up 25%. Private family and friend groups making decisions together.
Billboards and print ads: Down 75%. People spend more time on phones than looking at signs.
5. When People Ask AI "Where Should I Eat?"
More people are asking ChatGPT, Google's AI, or other AI tools for restaurant recommendations. The dotted lines show how AI answers (LLM) are becoming more common than traditional search results (SERP). The green dots show when restaurants need to have their information ready so AI can find and recommend them accurately.
What Restaurants Should Do: Make sure basic information is clear and updated everywhere online (menu, hours, location, what makes the food special). Write answers to common questions people ask. Encourage happy customers to leave honest reviews. AI reads all of this and uses it to make recommendations. This work takes 6-9 months to set up properly.
6. Being Present When People Are Looking
The colored bars show where restaurants can show up in people's feeds during different months. The orange line shows when to run longer campaigns without changing creative (because consistency builds familiarity). The goal is to be helpful when people are planning meals, not interrupt when they're not interested.
January-February (6 weeks): New year, fresh start energy. People exploring healthy options and new places. Instagram and WhatsApp presence builds awareness before Ramadan.
March (4 weeks): Ramadan. Daily iftar content on Instagram Stories. WhatsApp groups sharing daily. Family decisions happening fast. Be visible and consistent.
April-August (minimal): Thank families after Ramadan. Summer is quiet - many people traveling or staying home. Light presence on Instagram showing kitchen quality and team care. Save resources for busy season.
September (ramp up): Welcome people back. Saudi National Day celebration content. Weather getting nicer. Start reminding people the restaurant is here.
October-December (12 weeks): Peak season. Outdoor dining weather. Holidays approaching. Social gatherings increasing. Active presence across Instagram, Google Maps, TikTok. Show the experience people can expect.
Why This Works: Match effort to when people are actually deciding. Don't waste resources promoting during quiet months. Build trust through consistency during active months.
The Shift from Traditional Advertising: Two years ago, restaurants spent 24% on paid ads. Now only 12% because people trust friends more than ads. Chicken Tikka can reduce paid spending to 8% by being smarter about timing and channels. Use the saved money to make sure AI can find accurate information and to build genuine relationships with customers who share their experiences.
7. What Customers Want Each Month
This calendar connects when people look for restaurants (activity level) with what matters to them emotionally during that time. Budget follows activity, and content speaks to real needs.
| Month |
Activity |
Budget % |
What Customers Want |
How to Show Up |
Frequency |
| Jan |
0.6x |
6% |
Fresh start energy. Trying new things. Some looking for healthier options after holidays. |
WhatsApp and Instagram showing menu variety and fresh ingredients. |
2-3 posts/week |
| Feb |
0.7x |
6% |
Ramadan approaching. Families starting to plan where they'll go for iftar. Want to know the menu ahead of time. |
Preview iftar menu. Share with WhatsApp groups and mosque partnerships. |
3 posts/week (building momentum) |
| Mar |
1.8x |
18% |
Daily iftar planning. Family togetherness. Breaking fast together is sacred. Want reliability and quality. |
DAILY WhatsApp updates to groups. Daily Instagram Stories. Consistent presence. |
DAILY |
| Apr |
0.5x |
6% |
Eid celebration meals. Gratitude after Ramadan. Some exhaustion from full month of iftar. |
Thank you message to families who came. Eid celebration content. Light touch. |
2-3 posts/week |
| May |
0.3x |
3% |
Quiet month. Heat building. Many staying home. Those who do go out want to know the place is maintained well. |
Behind-the-scenes. Team stories. Kitchen care. Light presence on Instagram. |
1-2 posts/week |
| Jun |
0.3x |
3% |
Summer starting. People preparing for travel. Want to know the restaurant will maintain quality. |
Quality commitment messages. Light WhatsApp. Minimal Instagram. |
1-2 posts/week |
| Jul |
0.15x |
3.5% |
Many traveling internationally. Those who stayed want reliable delivery. Not exploring new places. |
"Here for those who stayed" message. Focus on delivery. Minimal presence. |
1 post/week |
| Aug |
0.15x |
3.5% |
Continued summer quiet. Families at home together. Minimal restaurant interest. |
Stay visible but don't push. Maintain presence only. |
1 post/week |
| Sep |
0.7x |
8% |
People returning from travel. Saudi National Day (Sep 23) - patriotic celebration energy. Weather improving. |
Welcome back messaging. National Day celebration content. Instagram and WhatsApp ramp up. |
3-4 posts/week |
| Oct |
0.8x |
10% |
Outdoor dining season begins. Pleasant weather. Social gathering season starting. People exploring dining options again. |
Instagram showing outdoor atmosphere. Google Maps active. WhatsApp sharing experience. |
3-4 posts/week |
| Nov |
0.9x |
12.5% |
Peak social season. Friend gatherings. Family meals. Visiting relatives. People want places that can accommodate groups comfortably. |
All channels active. Show group dining experience. Table availability. Atmosphere. |
3-4 posts/week |
| Dec |
1.0x |
12.5% |
Holiday celebrations. Year-end gatherings. UAE National Day (Dec 2). New Year approaching. Peak dining activity. |
Maximum presence all channels. Celebration atmosphere. Group bookings. Year-end gratitude. |
4 posts/week |
The Pattern: Notice how budget and activity mirror what customers actually need. In March and December, people are actively planning meals - the restaurant shows up consistently. In July and August, people aren't looking - the restaurant stays quiet and saves resources. This respects people's natural rhythm instead of interrupting it.