Nando's vs Speight's Ale House:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Nando's had more branded searches than Speight's Ale House among casual dining chains in New Zealand. Nando's had about 42,100 branded searches, while Speight's Ale House had 10,300. Nando's made up 46.7% of all casual dining chain searches we track, and Speight's Ale House accounted for 11.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about casual dining chains, Nando's appeared in two of the five answers and Speight's Ale House in one. Nando's was mentioned before Speight's Ale House in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Nando's, about 4 searches for every 1 for Speight's Ale House
Who does AI mention more?
Nando's, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Speight's Ale House in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Nando's, named ahead of Speight's Ale House in 2 of 2 answers
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Top casual dining chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Nando's was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Speight's Ale House was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Nando's was listed before Speight's Ale House in every answer that named either.
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 Nando's or Speight's Ale House more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Nando's and Speight's Ale House 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 Nando's, Speight's Ale House. 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 Nando's and Speight's Ale House comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nando's was ahead of Speight's Ale House in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Speight's Ale House’s share of searches among casual dining chains in New Zealand moved from 10.8% to 11.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 10.5K to 10.3K.
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.

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?
23 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nando's’ and Speight's Ale House’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.
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
Speight's Ale House
4 branded search terms
- speights ale house
- speights ale house menu
- speights ale house restaurant
- speightsalehouse
Other head-to-heads among casual dining chains

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