Brandwave

Denny's vs Nando's:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Nando's had more branded searches than Denny's among casual dining chains in New Zealand. Nando's had about 42,100 branded searches, while Denny's had 12,200. Nando's made up 46.7% of all casual dining chain searches we track, and Denny's accounted for 13.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about casual dining chains, Denny's and Nando's each appeared in two of the five answers. Nando's was mentioned before Denny's in two out of three answers.

Among casual dining chains in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Nando's, about 3 searches for every 1 for Denny's

Nando's 42.1K searchesDenny's 12.2K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.

Denny's in 2 of 5Nando's in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Nando's, named ahead of Denny's in 2 of 3 answers

Nando's first in 2Denny's first in 1

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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 Nando's 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. Nando's 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.

  1. Nando's1st
  2. Lone Star2nd
  3. Cobb & Co3rd
  4. Denny's4th
  5. The Good Home5th
  6. 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

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 Nando's more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Denny's and Nando's 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.

Denny's and Nando's among casual dining chains in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Nando's, Denny's. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthNando'sLone StarDenny'sSpeight's Ale HouseThe Good HomeCobb & Co
Oct 202548.2%14.7%13.2%10.8%6.8%6.2%
Nov 202546.6%14.6%12.6%12.8%8.3%5.1%
Dec 202542.6%16.5%13.6%14%7.4%5.8%
Jan 202642.6%16.8%11.5%14.2%7.6%7.3%
Feb 202643.5%16.6%11.6%14.1%7.4%6.8%
Mar 202647.2%14.2%11.6%14.2%7.5%5.3%
Apr 202645.8%13.6%13.5%13.6%7.2%6.3%
May 202648.4%16.4%11%11.1%7.1%5.9%
Jun 202646.2%15%12.2%12.3%7.9%6.4%
Jul 202646.7%15.7%11.3%11%7.1%8.2%
Aug 202648.4%14.4%11.7%11.8%7.5%6.2%
Sep 202646.7%13.9%13.6%11.4%7.3%7.2%

How has the Denny's and Nando's comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Nando's 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, Nando's’ share of searches among casual dining chains in New Zealand moved from 48.2% to 46.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 46.6K to 42.1K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand casual dining chains in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. 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.

  2. In September 2026, Nando's lost share of searches among casual dining chains in New Zealand, from 48.4% to 46.7%.

How are branded searches counted?

25 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Denny's’ and Nando'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.

Denny's

6 branded search terms

  • denny's menu
  • dennys
  • dennys highland park
  • dennys hrs
  • dennys menu
  • dennys restaurant

Nando's

19 branded search terms

  • botany nandos
  • nando s
  • nando's
  • nandos
  • nandos centre place
  • nandos chicken
  • nandos courtenay place
  • nandos hamilton
  • nandos lunn ave
  • nandos menj
  • nandos northlands
  • nandos northwest
  • nandos perinaise
  • nandos queen street
  • nandos sauce
  • nandos st lukes
  • nandos sylvia park
  • nandos the base
  • nandos westgate

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among casual dining chains

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