How to get more Google reviews for your café without breaking the rules
When and how to ask for a review, why you can’t pay for ratings with a discount, how to reply to reviews, and how to make a negative one work for you.
Vitrina team5 minute read
Contents
In short
The simplest way to get a review is to ask. Most people who are asked go on to leave one.
Ask every guest, not only the happy ones, and offer no discount for a rating: Google’s rules forbid it.
Reply to every review, quickly and like a person, not with a template.
Fresh reviews count for more than old ones, so ask all the time, not once a year.
Why Google reviews matter
Before choosing a café, people look at the stars, the number of reviews and how recent they are. Your Google Business Profile is often the first page of your café a new guest sees, before your website and your menu.
97%
of people read reviews when choosing a local business (BrightLocal survey of 1,002 US adults, 2026)
47%
won’t use a business that has fewer than 20 reviews
74%
only care about reviews written in the last three months
How to ask for a review
Most reviews appear because the guest was asked. What matters is asking everyone, asking at the right time and giving a direct link, so the guest doesn’t have to look for your café on a map.
83%
of people who were asked to leave a review this year went on to leave one
- 1
Ask after the order
The best moment comes when the guest has just eaten or received a delivery. Ask everyone, not only those who smiled.
- 2
Give a direct link
Your Google Business Profile has a link for leaving a review: put it in an email, a message or on a card in the bag.
- 3
A QR code on the table
A code that opens the review form is something guests scan while they wait for the bill.
- 4
Remind once
If the guest hasn’t responded, one reminder is fine. A second one is annoying.
What you must not do
Offer incentives, such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services, in exchange for posting any review.
What Google’s rules forbid
A discount, gift or bonus for a review.
Asking only happy guests for reviews.
Reviews from staff, friends or several accounts of one person.
Compensation in exchange for a guest deleting or changing a negative review.
How to reply to reviews
Guests read not only the reviews but also the owner’s replies. Thank people for praise briefly and like a person, without the same template under every review: guests spot a template at once. And don’t wait too long, because a reply that arrives a month later looks like a brush-off.
When guests expect a reply to their review
- The same day19%
- By the next day32%
- Within a week81%
What to do with a negative review
- 1
Don’t reply in the heat of the moment
Give yourself an hour: the reply is written for all your future guests, not only for the person who wrote the review.
- 2
Say thank you and own it
Say you are sorry and name the problem in your own words, with no “but”.
- 3
Explain what you changed
New packaging, a different delivery time, a talk with the kitchen: specifics convince better than apologies.
- 4
Invite them to talk directly
Give a phone number or an email to sort out the specific order instead of arguing in public.
How Vitrina does it
In Vitrina, the guest is invited to leave a review after the order, and only the reviews you approve appear on your website. From the “Restaurant” plan, AI drafts replies to your Google reviews: the draft arrives in Telegram and in the admin panel, and a person publishes it. If you want, you can switch on automatic publishing, and only for reviews with a high rating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I give a discount for a Google review?
No. Google’s rules forbid incentives for reviews: payment, discounts, free goods or services. Google removes such reviews as fake engagement.
Should I reply to positive reviews?
Yes. In the BrightLocal 2026 survey, 80% of people said they are more likely to use a business that replies to all its reviews. A short, genuine thank you works better than a template.
How quickly should I reply to a review?
The sooner the better: according to BrightLocal 2026, 81% of people expect a reply within a week, and 19% the same day. How Vitrina helps with replies is on the loyalty page.