Denny's vs Lone Star:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Denny's and Lone Star were level in searches among casual dining chains in New Zealand, with an estimated 12.2K versus 12.5K branded searches, at 13.6% and 13.9% of the total. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about casual dining chains, Denny's and Lone Star each appeared in two of the five answers. Lone Star was mentioned before Denny's in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Lone Star and Denny's are searched for about as often as each other.
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Lone Star, named ahead of Denny's in 2 of 3 answers
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Top casual dining chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Denny's and Lone Star were each mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Lone Star was listed before Denny's in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Nando's1st- Lone Star2nd
Cobb & Co3rd
Denny's4th- The Good Home5th
Speight's Ale House6th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Nando's2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Lone Star2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Denny's2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- The Good Home2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Cobb & Co2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Speight's Ale House1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about casual dining chains
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which casual dining chain should I go to in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best casual dining chains in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best casual dining chain in New Zealand for a family meal?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“casual restaurants auckland”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“family dinner out”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is Denny's or Lone Star more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Denny's and Lone Star by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six casual dining chains we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Lone Star, Denny's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Nando's | Lone Star | Denny's | Speight's Ale House | The Good Home | Cobb & Co |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 48.2% | 14.7% | 13.2% | 10.8% | 6.8% | 6.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 46.6% | 14.6% | 12.6% | 12.8% | 8.3% | 5.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 42.6% | 16.5% | 13.6% | 14% | 7.4% | 5.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.6% | 16.8% | 11.5% | 14.2% | 7.6% | 7.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.5% | 16.6% | 11.6% | 14.1% | 7.4% | 6.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.2% | 14.2% | 11.6% | 14.2% | 7.5% | 5.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 45.8% | 13.6% | 13.5% | 13.6% | 7.2% | 6.3% |
| May 2026 | 48.4% | 16.4% | 11% | 11.1% | 7.1% | 5.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.2% | 15% | 12.2% | 12.3% | 7.9% | 6.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.7% | 15.7% | 11.3% | 11% | 7.1% | 8.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 48.4% | 14.4% | 11.7% | 11.8% | 7.5% | 6.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 46.7% | 13.9% | 13.6% | 11.4% | 7.3% | 7.2% |
How has the Denny's and Lone Star comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Lone Star was ahead of Denny's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Denny's’ share of searches among casual dining chains in New Zealand moved from 13.2% to 13.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.8K to 12.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lone Star’s share of searches among casual dining chains in New Zealand moved from 14.7% to 13.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.3K to 12.5K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand casual dining chains in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Denny's overtook Speight's Ale House to rank 3rd among casual dining chains in New Zealand, with 13.6% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Lone Star in New Zealand fell 12.3% over 12 measured months, from 14.3K to 12.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
9 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Denny's’ and Lone Star’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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