--- title: Google Business Profile for restaurants: full setup | NFCeez url: https://nfceez.de/en/blog/google-business-profile-for-restaurants/ language: en description: Set up a Google Business Profile for your restaurant or café: every step with Google's current menu names, from verification to hours, menu and booking link. --- # How do you set up a Google Business Profile for a restaurant or café? The full step-by-step list, using the menu names from Google's own help pages. As of November 2026. [Google and AI](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/topic/google/) 7 min read Updated 2 November 2026 NFCeez editorial team The short answer A Google Business Profile for a restaurant or café is free and takes four stages: add it at business.google.com/add or claim it in Google Maps, verify the business, set the name, category, address and hours under Edit profile, then add your menu, booking link and photos. Photos only go live after verification, and so do replies to reviews. Contents - What do you need before you start? - How do you add or claim the profile? - How do you verify your business? - Which fields come first? - How do you change opening hours on Google? - How do you add your menu to Google? - How do you add reservations, photos and details? - Which mistakes cost restaurants the most? - How can you tell if the profile is doing anything? - How do you keep your menu and links in one place instead of five? - What's your next step today? Your Business Profile, formerly [Google My Business](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2382892?hl=en), is what guests see about your place on Google Search and Maps. The menu names below come from Google's help pages. Google renames them now and then, and some depend on your country and category. If yours says something slightly different, choose the closest option. ## What do you need before you start? - A Google Account that belongs to the business, not to one temp. - Your name exactly as it appears on the sign. - A fixed address with signage. P.O. boxes and virtual offices [aren't allowed](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en). - Your phone number, opening hours and current menu as a photo or PDF. - A few sharp photos: outside, inside, food, plus your logo. ## How do you add or claim the profile? Look for your place in Google Maps first, because a profile often exists already. [Google says](https://support.google.com/business/answer/2911778?hl=en) adding or claiming a profile is free. This table shows which route fits: What you find What to do No profile Go to business.google.com/add, select Add your business to Google, follow the steps A profile nobody owns In Maps, open your place, select Claim this business, then Manage now. In the Maps app, tap About first A profile someone else has verified Request ownership from the current owner. Don't create a second profile ## How do you verify your business? Verification shows Google that you really run the place, and you start it with [Get verified](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242?hl=en). Google decides which methods you see, and you can't change that. Method What happens Catch Phone or SMS A code by call or text Automated phone menus can't take the code Email Instructions by email You need access to the address shown Live video call You show the location and proof live Only during your business hours and on site. Show signage, equipment, staff areas or keys Postcard A 5-digit code by post Usually within 14 days, expires after 30. Don't edit name, address or category while waiting, and don't request a new code Google says reviews usually take up to 5 business days. If a live video call is on offer, Google recommends it. ## Which fields come first? Fill in the name, category, address, phone and website first, because everything else depends on them. The path is always the same: go to business.google.com, select [Edit profile](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3039617?hl=en), make changes, then Save. In the Maps app, tap Business at the bottom right, then Edit profile. Google reviews changes before they go live. Field Example: Café Morgenrot (made up) Rule Business name Café Morgenrot Not "Café Morgenrot, best brunch in town". Taglines and hours [aren't allowed](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en) Category Cafe [Categories affect your local ranking](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7249669?hl=en). The first is the primary one. Pick as few and as specific as you can Address Your real street and number One location, one profile Phone number Your landline or mobile Up to 2 more allowed, no fax, ideally not a central call centre Website https://your-address.com Include http:// or https://. It must lead to your own business A category completes "this business IS a", not "this business HAS a". You can add up to 9 more, but only if they're true. Changing a category can trigger verification again, so leave it alone while a postcard is on its way. No website of your own? Our article on [whether a café needs a website](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/does-my-cafe-need-a-website/) gives an honest answer. ## How do you change opening hours on Google? You change opening hours under Edit profile, then Hours. The [steps](https://support.google.com/business/answer/15300403?hl=en): - Select Edit profile, then Hours. - Next to Hours, select the edit icon, then Open with main hours. - Tick the days you're open and set the times. - For a lunch break, add two entries for the same day, one before and one after. - Select Save. For restaurants, use [dine-in hours](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en) first, not delivery hours. For holidays and one-off days, [the path is](https://support.google.com/business/answer/6303076?hl=en): Edit profile, Hours, then the edit icon next to Special hours. Pick a suggested date with Review or choose Add a date, enter the times or tick Closed, then Save. Google recommends confirming official holidays even when your hours are normal, so guests know they're right. How long you're closed Choose Up to 7 days Special hours, with Closed for each day More than 7 days, off-season or indefinitely [Temporarily closed](https://support.google.com/business/answer/15300196?hl=en) For good Permanently closed Google says temporarily closed places can rank below open ones for broad searches. So switch your hours back on the day you reopen. ## How do you add your menu to Google? You add the menu through the [menu editor](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9455840?hl=en) or as a link, and you can do both. - Select Edit menu. - For dishes, use Add menu section and Add menu item. - For a photo or PDF, select Photos of menu at the top, then Select photos or a PDF. - For your own online menu: Edit profile, Business information, Contact, Menu link, enter the address, Save. - In Edit menu, the Full menu tab lets you set your preferred source. Google says changes can take 24 to 48 hours. Generate a menu, which reads a photo or PDF, is marked experimental, so check the result line by line, especially prices. A link of your own has one advantage: you keep the menu in one place. Look for two things: the address behind the link never changes, and you can update the menu behind it from your phone without uploading a new file each time. ## How do you add reservations, photos and details? The remaining items are quick and often forgotten: - Reservations: Select [Booking](https://support.google.com/business/answer/6218037?hl=en), Add link, enter the address, Save. Orders go through Food ordering. Our article on [online table reservations](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/online-table-reservations/) covers what suits you. - Photos: Search for your place on Google or Maps, select [Photos](https://support.google.com/business/answer/6103862?hl=en), then Add photos, Add a logo or Add a cover photo. JPG or PNG, 10 KB to 5 MB. 720 × 720 pixels is recommended, 250 × 250 the minimum. They only go live after verification, usually within 24 to 48 hours. - Attributes: [Edit profile, More](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9049526?hl=en), then Edit next to the group, then Yes or No, for example on Wi-Fi or Cash-only. Names can differ by country and category. - Team: [More, Business Profile settings, People and access](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100?hl=en), Add, enter the email, choose Owner or Manager, Invite. Don't give temps owner access. - Posts: [Posts, Add post](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7662907?hl=en), then Update, Offer or Event, and finally Post. ## Which mistakes cost restaurants the most? Mistake Why it hurts Instead "Restaurant Laterne Open 24 hours" as the name Breaks Google's guidelines Only your real name A dessert category because you serve tiramisu Categories describe the business, not what it has What you are at your core A second profile for one location One per location is allowed Claim the old one Links in the description Not allowed there The Website and Menu link fields Hours not checked for months Guests arrive at a locked door A fixed date, see below ## How can you tell if the profile is doing anything? Under [Performance](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9918094?hl=en) you can see how guests use your profile. Pick a period, then Apply. It shows search terms, views, direction requests, calls, website clicks and menu clicks. Search terms update at the start of each month. Performance data is only available for verified profiles. Our article on [getting found on Google and ChatGPT](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/get-your-restaurant-found-on-google-and-chatgpt/) explains what this means for visibility. [Getting more Google reviews](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/how-to-get-more-google-reviews/) covers the next lever. ## How do you keep your menu and links in one place instead of five? This is how it works with NFCeez: in the app you add your business with its name and address, then your logo, cover photo, opening hours, links and the link to your Google review. You take photos of your menu or upload a PDF, the AI turns it into a digital menu, and you check it before you publish. All of it sits on your Smart Page at nfceez.de, followed by your business name. You enter that address in Google under Menu link. When a price changes, you update it in the app and the next guest sees it, without uploading a new PDF to Google. The app also shows you how many visits came from Google. The limit: NFCeez doesn't change your Google profile. You still update hours, holidays and photos on Google yourself, ideally on the same monthly date. The [Smart Page overview](https://nfceez.de/en/features/smart-page/) shows what guests see. ## What's your next step today? Look up your place in Google Maps right now, check whether a profile exists and start verification. Then add a recurring date: on the first of each month, check hours, holidays and your menu. It takes five minutes and saves a guest from a locked door. [ How NFCeez does this One address for menu, links and reviews. You add the link to Google once. After that you change prices and dishes in the app, and anyone who comes from Google sees the current menu. See how it works ](https://nfceez.de/en/features/smart-page/) Sources - [Google Business Profile Help: Get started with a Business Profile for your restaurant](https://support.google.com/business/answer/14189260) - [Google Business Profile Help: Add or claim your Business Profile](https://support.google.com/business/answer/2911778) - [Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242) - [Google Business Profile Help: Edit your Business Profile](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3039617) - [Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - [Google Business Profile Help: Manage your business category](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7249669) - [Google Business Profile Help: Edit your business hours](https://support.google.com/business/answer/15300403) - [Google Business Profile Help: Set special hours](https://support.google.com/business/answer/6303076) - [Google Business Profile Help: Mark your business as closed](https://support.google.com/business/answer/15300196) - [Google Business Profile Help: About the menu editor](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9455840) - [Google Business Profile Help: Manage your local business links](https://support.google.com/business/answer/6218037) - [Google Business Profile Help: Manage your business attributes](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9049526) - [Google Business Profile Help: Manage photos and videos](https://support.google.com/business/answer/6103862) - [Google Business Profile Help: Create posts](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7662907) - [Google Business Profile Help: Owners and managers](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100) - [Google Business Profile Help: Performance and insights](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9918094) - [Google Ads Help: Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2382892) ## Questions about the Google Business Profile. Nothing. Google offers adding and claiming a profile free of charge, for restaurants and cafés too. Yes. Google My Business is the former name, and the product is now called Google Business Profile. Google says reviews usually take up to 5 business days. A postcard usually arrives within 14 days, and its code expires after 30. Go to Edit profile, Hours and Special hours. Review a suggested date or add your own and tick Closed if you aren't open. Yes. In the Google Maps app, tap Business at the bottom right, then Edit profile. Photos only appear once the profile is verified, and approved ones can take 24 to 48 hours. A Not approved label means they broke policy. ## Keep reading. [All articles](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/) [ ### How can a restaurant or café get more Google reviews? The shortest way to your review link, wording for your team, and the rules many tips skip. As of November 2026. - ](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/how-to-get-more-google-reviews/) [ ### How should you respond to a negative Google review, and when can it be removed? Six ready replies for common cases, the exact steps for reporting, and the legal position in Germany if someone was never your guest. As of November 2026. - ](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/how-to-respond-to-bad-reviews/) [ ### How does your restaurant get found on Google and ChatGPT? What the companies actually document, what nobody outside them knows, and the work that's worth doing anyway. As of November 2026. - ](https://nfceez.de/en/blog/get-your-restaurant-found-on-google-and-chatgpt/)