Google is adding waiting times to search results as well as the Google Maps application, bringing another means of helping diners decide where to eat.

‘Waiting times’ is an important consideration, and for some would-be restaurant goers, it ranks alongside the quality of the food and the cost. Currently, the new information is present in Google Search but it will be coming soon to Google Maps as well at a later date. The functionality gives users the ability to decide if it’s worth calling ahead, turning up to hope for the best, or even taking (or not taking!) a detour.

Google’s blog on the subject explains that almost a million eat-in restaurants around the world now support the live ‘wait time’ information. It’s easy to find what you are looking for – simply search for the restaurant on the Google search engine, open the business listing, and take a look at the ‘Popular Times’ section. Users can move to different time periods to see the estimated wait time at the location, which means you can plan to arrive earlier or later in order to minimize the delay in waiting to be seated at a restaurant.

Google is basing the information on its anonymized database of location histories, using a modified algorithm as the search giant uses for both the ‘Popular Times’ and ‘Visit Duration’ features. At this time, Google hasn’t explained any plans to enhance the service but knowing how the search giant operates, we can be reasonably sure they are working to bring many more eating houses in the future.

SOURCE [Google Keyword]