How to Claim Your Restaurant on ChatGPT (and Get Recommended)

If you opened a restaurant in the US ten years ago, you probably remember: whoever got onto Google Maps first got found first by nearby customers.

We're at a similar moment again. People looking for a place to eat don't just open Google Maps anymore. More and more of them ask ChatGPT directly: which Chinese restaurant nearby is good, which one is good for kids. Whether your restaurant shows up in that answer is the same kind of question as whether you were on the map ten years ago.

On November 10, 2026, OpenAI launched the ChatGPT Business Hub (currently in beta). In the announcement, OpenAI says ChatGPT has 1.2 billion weekly users. Restaurants can now claim their listing and fill in their details, so ChatGPT works with more accurate information when it answers. Claiming doesn't guarantee you'll be recommended. But if you don't claim, ChatGPT doesn't have a single profile you've confirmed yourself.

What is ChatGPT Business Hub?

Business Hub is OpenAI's dashboard for businesses. Anyone authorized to represent a business can claim it, add business information, and see how people reach the business through ChatGPT, such as how often it's mentioned and how many website clicks it gets. You don't need to run ads or sign an Enterprise contract to claim. After you claim, ChatGPT still makes its own independent recommendations and comparisons. What you get is a profile you maintain, a blue verified badge once you pass review, and access to your data once your identity is verified.

One thing to keep separate: the Business Agent, which is currently open to eligible US e-commerce and online service businesses, has its own eligibility rules. Claiming a restaurant doesn't automatically mean you can turn one on. Restaurants should start by claiming their existing US listing and getting the details right. Even without a Business Agent, ChatGPT can still show your restaurant when someone asks where to eat nearby.

How to claim your restaurant on ChatGPT

The process has four steps.

Open Business Hub from the sidebar

Log in to ChatGPT, open Business Hub in the left sidebar, and search for your restaurant by name. Pick the listing that matches yours and confirm which ChatGPT account will manage it. If you can't find it: local businesses and restaurants can currently only claim listings that already exist in the US; you can't create a new one yourself. If you see "Contact support," the listing is locked and you'll need to go through OpenAI support.

Verify by phone, domain, email, or Shopify

ChatGPT will show the verification methods available for your business. The common ones are: your business phone (by text or voice call; enter the code you receive); a business email tied to the restaurant; your website domain (add the TXT record ChatGPT gives you to your DNS exactly as shown; if someone else manages your domain, ask them to add it, then come back to ChatGPT and click verify); or signing in through the restaurant's Shopify admin. Use whichever one you can actually complete. For most restaurants, phone is the easiest.

Wait for approval by email

After you submit, OpenAI reviews the claim. They'll email you the result or ask for more documents. You can cancel the claim while it's under review.

Complete Persona identity verification to edit, see data, and get the badge

Getting your claim approved only gets you into Business Hub. You still need to complete identity verification with Persona before you can publish changes to your profile, see your data, or create a Business Agent if you're eligible. The blue badge doesn't come with the claim either; it's added only after Persona verification passes. You may need a government-issued ID, business registration documents, and proof that you're authorized to represent the restaurant. Submitting isn't the same as passing, and none of these features work until you pass.

How to write your profile so AI understands you

Claiming is just the first step. When ChatGPT answers a customer, it looks at the information you provide and at other information online. The clearer and more consistent your details are, the better your chances of being mentioned accurately.

The most important thing: make your name, address, phone number, and hours exactly match your Google Business Profile. When the two don't match, both AI and customers hesitate, or get sent to the wrong place. Fill in your menu, signature dishes, hours, and whether you take reservations. If you close for a holiday, update it everywhere. Your website matters too, since claiming currently requires one. The name, address, and menu on your website should line up with what's on ChatGPT and Google. And keep working on reviews: ChatGPT may still look at the reputation you've built online.

Put simply, this is "feeding" your restaurant's information to AI. It's not just clicking "claim." It's getting your website, menu, and details into a shape AI can read and that doesn't conflict with other platforms. Then, when someone asks "which Chinese restaurant nearby is good for a group dinner," there's something reliable to recommend. This is what people call restaurant GEO: making sure AI recommends you when customers ask.

At Hiraccoon, this is the part we handle. We build each restaurant its own branded website, with the menu, hours, and address organized on the site so Google can understand it, and so AI search like ChatGPT and Google AI can cite your website when customers ask. Claiming your ChatGPT listing and feeding your website's information to AI go hand in hand.

Changes to your profile won't show up in ChatGPT's answers right away: OpenAI reviews them before publishing, and ChatGPT also draws on other sources online.

Limits to know before you start

First, local businesses and restaurants can only claim listings that already exist in the US. If your restaurant is new and not in the list yet, you may not be able to claim it for now. Second, claiming currently requires a website. Third, claiming doesn't guarantee recommendations or more business. ChatGPT's recommendations are independent; what you can do is give it accurate, complete information you've confirmed. Also, the Business Agent is mainly open to eligible US e-commerce and online service businesses, so a restaurant may not be able to set up a conversational agent right after claiming.

FAQ

Can restaurants join ChatGPT right now?

You can apply to claim your listing, but only if it already exists in the US, and you'll usually need a website. You must be the owner or authorized to represent the restaurant.

Will ChatGPT recommend my restaurant more after I claim it?

OpenAI says clearly that claiming lets you manage the information ChatGPT has about you, but it doesn't guarantee more visibility or let you control ChatGPT's independent recommendations. Ads don't affect ChatGPT's own answers either.

Does my name, address, and phone number have to match Google exactly?

It's not a hard requirement, but it's best if they match. When your details line up across platforms, AI is less likely to get confused and customers feel more confident.

Why can't I edit my profile or see the blue badge after my claim was approved?

Because you still need to finish Persona identity verification. The badge appears only after that passes. Editing your profile and viewing your mentions and clicks for the last 28 days also wait for this step.

Do I have to buy ChatGPT ads or turn on a Business Agent?

No. OpenAI says claiming, publishing an agent, and running ads are separate. Once your claim and identity verification are approved, you can manage your profile and view available data without ads or an agent.

Want to get listed? We can help

If you want customers to find you more easily when they ask ChatGPT or Google AI "where should I eat nearby," that's what we call AI recommendation. We can claim your listing, get your details in order, submit it for review, and send you screenshots once it's live. For clients doing AI recommendation through Hiraccoon, ChatGPT listing setup is free. To learn more, message us or take a look at the Hiraccoon website (https://hiraccoon.com/). All you'll need to do is receive one verification code and complete one identity check. Restaurants without a website, or not yet in the existing US listings, may not be able to claim right now. What we can promise is to complete the claim and your profile properly; we can't promise OpenAI will recommend your restaurant.

Sources

The steps, limits, and product details in this article come from OpenAI's official pages. If those pages change, the originals take precedence:

• Setting up your business on ChatGPT (Help Center) (https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001635-setting-up-your-business-on-chatgpt)
• Introducing Businesses in ChatGPT (2026-11-10) (https://openai.com/index/introducing-businesses-chatgpt/)
• Businesses in ChatGPT (https://openai.com/business/businesses-in-chatgpt/)