This Was The Most-Googled Restaurant In The US In 2021
While some people might ask for an assist from Alexa or a save from Siri, the always present Google search often provides the easy and quick answers that people seek. From solving that Wordle clue to locating the best restaurant near you, there seems to be a solution to literally any question.
Recently, the blog Ahrefs.com compiled the top Google searches lists for 2021. While the data revealed that people want to be well informed about weather and news, or might even need a little assistance with language translation, the top searched items provide a little more insight into consumers' shopping and food habits. While toilet paper might have rolled off the most searched in 2021 (now that it can be readily found), food and restaurants made their presence known.
And although the search for "food near me" came in at the #22 ranking, that generalized term likely produced a plethora of responses. But there was one most-Googled restaurant that clearly shows people always have their thoughts on that morning and afternoon pick-me-up.
The most-Googled restaurant in the US is pretty much everywhere
When you think of the most-Googled restaurant in the United States, certain popular chains probably come to mind. When Ahrefs.com shared its data, compiling results from the year 2021, it turns out only one earned top honors. It was coffee giant Starbucks who beat out even other big wig brands like McDonald's – the café chain came in 39th on the list of the Top 100 Google searches for the year with 18,210,000 searches, per The Takeout.
As the article notes, Starbucks has a plethora of locations around the country, which could be boosting that "most searched" designation. Beyond finding the most convenient location, however, Starbucks' menu offerings, specialty drinks, and even free wi-fi could be a factor in boosting their ranking, too. Who hasn't used a Starbucks as a place to escape the house and possibly get some work completed? While many people can speculate on the reasoning as to why, the reality is that Starbucks commands the search screen. And yes, McDonald's, Domino's, Chick-fil-A, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell did make the top 100 list. But still, the craving for that Frappuccino or needing that caffeine fix has people typing the coffee chain into the search bar time and time again.
While Starbucks may be the most-Googled restaurant for 2021, the question is, will the company retain its top billing for 2022 — or will that search ranking fall like the sourdough bread trend? It is a question to ponder over that next pistachio latte.