If you own a restaurant, you’ll want to pay attention to Google’s “What’s Happening” feature. This brand-new update to Google Business Profiles is a powerful way to help your restaurant stand out in local search results—without needing to post more often or learn a bunch of new tools.
What Is Google’s “What’s Happening” Feature?
Google’s “What’s Happening” Feature is a new section inside your Google Business Profile that shows customers what’s going on at your restaurant right now. This includes:
- Live music nights
- Happy hour deals
- Holiday menus
- Limited-time offers
This content appears directly in search results when people look up your restaurant on Google.
📺 Watch this quick video from Google explaining the feature
Why This Matters for Independent Restaurants
Restaurant owners don’t need more tools. Instead, they need more foot traffic, calls, and reservations.
This feature helps solve that problem by:
- Showing off your offers before someone visits your website
- Pulling in the content you’re already posting to Instagram or Google
- Keeping your Google listing fresh and clickable
Who Can Use It?
This feature is now live for:
- Single-location food & drink businesses
- In the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, or New Zealand
- On mobile search results
How to Show Up in “What’s Happening”
Option 1: Post on Google
- Log in to your Google Business Profile
- Click “Add update”
- Choose “Event” or “Offer”
- Add a photo and real details: what it is, when it happens, and why it’s worth showing up for
Option 2: Let Google Pull From Your Instagram or Facebook
If your social posts mention events or specials and you’ve linked your accounts, Google might feature them automatically.
Just make sure your posts include specific dates or phrases like “this Friday,” “starting at 5PM,” or “limited-time only.”
Real-World Example
The Beehive in Boston posted about their Pride Beer Garden on Instagram. It showed up in Google Search like this:
- 📱 A search for “Beehive Boston” showed their event under “What’s Happening”
- 📆 Clicking it showed the full event info
- 📸 The content came straight from their Instagram post
That’s what success looks like. Organic reach, no ad budget, just smart visibility.
What We Learned at Google HQ
We were invited to Google HQ in Chicago to preview this feature and talk directly with the team behind it.
Their goal is clear: make it easier for local restaurants to stand out. Rick Borovoy, a Google product manager summed it up well:
“We only get a small slice of the restaurant owner’s attention. So we need to make really, really good use of it.”
What to Post
Make it easy for Google to feature your content:
- Use clear event names (“Live Jazz Night”)
- Include days and times
- Add a photo or flyer
- Keep it short, specific, and timely
📌 Good: “New lunch special this week, $10 sandwiches every weekday”
🚫 Not so good: “We’re proud of our menu!”
Want Help?
If you’re a client of ours, we’re already making sure your updates show up.
If you’re not using this feature yet, or aren’t sure where to start, we can help.
We’ll:
- Format your content so Google picks it up
- Connect your social accounts the right way
- Write and schedule weekly posts that drive traffic
Final Thought
Google’s “What’s Happening” Feature is simple, free, and already working for many restaurants. If you’re posting about events or specials online, you could be getting extra visibility without doing any extra work.
And if you’re not posting that kind of content yet, this is a great reason to start!
Did you know?
We've been managing social media accounts for restaurants since 2012. For almost a decade, we've partnered with restauranteurs who are serious about using social media to generate business. Whether you're a good fit for our service or not, let's schedule a call and we'll give you free personalized advice on how to improve your social media presence. Either way, you'll walk away from the call more confident about your ability to promote yourself online - completely for free.
