Earlier this week, Google announced that its Maps app and search functions would soon list wait times for local eateries. And on Wednesday, it looks like the data has begun to show up.
Results for Ground Kontrol, Screen Door and LeChon in Portland all featured a new pink icon denoting the live updates. At 6:30 p.m., the interface indicated Ground Kontrol was "Not busy," while LeChon was "Less busy than usual" and Screen Door was "A little busy." The popular brunch spot was the only one that sported any sort of wait time indicator, telling users to expect a 15-minute wait on desktop.
The live updates are an addition to the Popular Times menu Google has featured since 2015, which is a sort of histogram that indicates peak hours for businesses, public spaces and restaurants.
The search engine and its Maps app can also tell you how long the wait at an eatery might be on any given hour during the week, which Google told tech site The Verge it pulls from "anonymized historical data."
Time will tell how true to reality Google gets with its updates. After all, we all have the one friend who shows up at places like Screen Door on a Sunday afternoon without making a reservation.
--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344
ecampuzano@oregonian.com