Nando's vs wagamama:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Nando's had more branded searches than wagamama among restaurant chains in the United Kingdom. Nando's had about 550,000 branded searches, while wagamama had 301,000. Nando's made up 15.2% of all restaurant chain searches we track, and wagamama accounted for 8.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about restaurant chains, Nando's and wagamama each appeared in three of the four answers. Nando's was mentioned before wagamama in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Nando's, about 83% more searches than wagamama
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 4 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Nando's, named ahead of wagamama in 2 of 3 answers
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Top restaurant chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Nando's was mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. wagamama was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Nando's was listed before wagamama in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
PizzaExpress3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers- Nando's3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
wagamama3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Toby Carvery2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Five Guys2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Frankie & Benny's2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Bella Italia2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Miller & Carter1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Harvester1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Wetherspoons0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about restaurant chains
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which restaurant chain is the best in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best chain restaurants in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which UK restaurant chain is best for a family meal?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“chain restaurants”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“restaurants near me”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is Nando's or wagamama more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Nando's and wagamama by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 restaurant chains we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Nando's, wagamama. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | PizzaExpress | Wetherspoons | Nando's | Toby Carvery | wagamama | Miller & Carter | Five Guys | Frankie & Benny's | Prezzo | Bella Italia | Zizzi | Harvester |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 15% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 12.3% | 10% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 2% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 19.2% | 19.2% | 15.7% | 10.5% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 7% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 18.1% | 18.1% | 18.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 8.1% | 3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 17.7% | 17.7% | 17.7% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 19.2% | 19.2% | 15.7% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 7% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 20.1% | 20.1% | 16.4% | 9% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.3% | 18.2% | 18.2% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 6.7% | 5.4% | 3% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 22.5% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 3% | 3% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 24.1% | 19.7% | 16.1% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 4% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 22.4% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 23.3% | 19.2% | 15.7% | 10.5% | 7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 22.8% | 18.6% | 15.2% | 10.2% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.2% |
How has the Nando's and wagamama comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nando's was ahead of wagamama in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nando's’ share of searches among restaurant chains in the United Kingdom moved from 18.4% to 15.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 550K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, wagamama’s share of searches among restaurant chains in the United Kingdom moved from 10% to 8.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 301K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom restaurant chains in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, wagamama gained share of searches among restaurant chains in the United Kingdom, from 7% to 8.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Nando's in the United Kingdom fell 33.2% over 12 measured months, from 823K to 550K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nando's’ and wagamama’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.
Other head-to-heads among restaurant chains
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