How groups choose where to eat

Recommendations carry real weight

Restaurants travel by word of mouth. In a 2022 PYMNTS study of 2,256 US consumers, 50% of diners named someone else's recommendation as an important reason to try a new restaurant, and 29% called it the single most important reason.

In a group, that means the person who says "I've heard great things about…" often sets the direction. That's a good start, as long as it doesn't end the conversation.

The occasion shapes the choice

A birthday dinner and a team lunch call for different places. When OpenTable surveyed Americans who had dined with a group of 10 or more in the past five years, the top reasons for private dining reservations were birthdays, family gatherings and corporate events.

Start from the occasion: how long people will stay, how dressy it is, whether it's a celebration or a catch-up. The right vibe narrows the field before anyone names a restaurant.

Everyone brings their must-haves

Every group has a few things that can't bend:

• Diet. A vegan, an allergy or a strict requirement rules places out completely.
• Budget. People rarely say their limit out loud in front of the group.
• Distance. A place that's perfect for three people can be an hour away for the fourth.
• Time. Some people can only do early; some can't do weeknights.

The rest are preferences: cuisine, atmosphere, a terrace or a quiet corner. Those can be balanced. Must-haves can't.

A fair way to choose together

1. Collect what everyone needs, privately. People are more honest about budget and diet when they're not saying it in the group chat.
2. Apply the must-haves first. Rule out anything that doesn't work for someone.
3. Balance the preferences. Look for places that suit most people well, not one person perfectly.
4. Vote on a short list. A handful of good options is easier to decide on than an open-ended debate.
5. Close it. Book, and tell everyone where and when.

How MiBA does it

MiBA works the same way. One person starts a gathering and shares a link. Each guest answers on their own: what they feel like eating, the vibe, the budget and what they don't eat. Your no's, your diet and your budget stay private. Dietary needs are saved to your account, so you only enter them once. Kosher, when it's a must, rules out any place that can't show it; for other diets, places that show they cater come first. You see what the group would love only after you've answered, so nobody just follows the first suggestion.

MiBA weighs every answer against real restaurants and ranks them, the host puts up to five on a short list, and the group votes. Then you get a link to book, and everyone hears where and when.

Group decisions. Sorted.