- Conflicting information costs trust and creates avoidable queries.
- A central source of information and clear responsibility reduce mistakes.
- Public holidays, annual closures and menu changes need a planned process.
- Not every channel matters equally. Start with the ones your guests actually use.
Your website says you are open, Google says closed, and Facebook shows last year’s menu. For the restaurant, these may seem like three small update errors. For guests, they raise one question: can I trust this information?
Keeping information current online is often a process issue rather than a technical one. A shared source, clear ownership and scheduled checks make it manageable for small teams.
Where contradictory information arises
- Opening hours will only be changed on the website
- Holiday times are entered too late
- An outdated PDF menu still appears in search results
- Phone number or reservation link change
- Promotions stay online after they end
- Several people update content without a shared approval process
List your public channels and identify which actually generate calls, directions requests or reservations. Prioritise those so the team does not maintain ten minor directories while neglecting Google.
Determine a reliable source
Decide where your current information lives, ideally in one system or a documented business overview. Update your website and key profiles from that source. Changes buried in private chats are not reliable records.
| Information | Data controller | Test occasion |
|---|---|---|
| Regular times | Management | Quarterly |
| Public holidays and annual closures | Management | Six weeks before |
| Menu and prices | Kitchen team, with approval | Whenever the menu changes |
| Promotions and events | Marketing/Service | Start and end date |
| Contact details | Owner | With every change |
Plan public holidays and annual closures ahead
Do not leave special hours until the night before. Plan six weeks ahead and confirm them a week beforehand. Check the website, Google profile, reservation system and social channels. During annual closures, state when you will answer enquiries again.
Give menus and promotions an end date
Give each seasonal menu and promotion an internal start and end date. Once it ends, remove it, archive it or clearly mark it as past. Stable web addresses prevent links from breaking whenever the menu changes.
Your team should be able to mark a dish as sold out quickly. For lasting changes, update the website, online menu and linked profiles together.
Short-term change: the 10-minute process
- Confirm decision and precise wording internally.
- Change website notice and today's opening hours.
- Update Google profile.
- Information about reservation requests and affected guests.
- Use social media too where you already reach relevant guests.
Be specific: “Today, 23 August, the restaurant is closed due to … We reopen as usual on Tuesday.” Including the date prevents confusion if guests find the notice later.
A monthly check from your guests’ perspective
Search for your business in a private browser window and open the main results on your phone. Compare opening hours, phone numbers, menu links and reservations. Check that each link leads to the correct, current page.
- Google profile
- Own website
- Reservation page
- Facebook and Instagram profile
- Relevant tourism or industry portals
Record genuine inconsistencies and fix the channels guests actually use first. A small, well-maintained online presence is better than numerous outdated profiles.