Overview
Zagat Survey® is a business based on a simple premise – that the shared opinions of thousands of avid consumers with real experiences are inherently more accurate than the opinions of just one or two critics. Through our guides, we give people the power of a collective voice and the information to make smart decisions.
Started as a hobby in 1979, Zagat Survey is now the world's leading provider of consumer survey-based information on where to eat, drink, stay & play worldwide. With ratings and reviews based on the opinions of over 350,000 surveyors from around the globe, Zagat Survey has become the world's most trusted source to help consumers make informed decisions about restaurants, nightspots, hotels, attractions and other leisure activities.
“The most trusted guide.” – The Today Show
“The world's most influential travel and food guide.” –The Associated Press
From the beginning, Zagat Survey has empowered consumers by providing them with a vehicle to express their opinions. Today, Zagat Survey provides consumer survey-generated reviews on a variety of media platforms including print, the web, mobile devices, in-car and personal navigation devices, TV and radio. Its reviews cover more than 100 countries worldwide, and the Zagat brand is internationally respected as a symbol of quality.
Zagat surveyors are frequent, knowledgeable consumers in each of the categories they rate. Their experiences, expertly distilled into numerical ratings and concise, witty quotes, provide accurate, swift guidance for a wide range of leisure activities. Zagat Survey's unique approach separately rates the distinct qualities of a restaurant (Food, Decor, Service and Cost), hotel (Rooms, Service, Dining and Public Facilities) and other leisure categories based on a signature 30-point scale. Zagat supplements this information with a variety of top lists and indexes which allow people to search efficiently for the best places to meet their varied interests.
“The gastronomic bible.” – Wall Street Journal
In addition to becoming the world's best-selling publisher of restaurant guides, Zagat Survey has developed business relationships with hundreds of prominent companies. Acura, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Merck, Merrill Lynch, MGM, Microsoft, Pfizer, Sony, Toyota, Verizon, Visa, WellPoint and many others have commissioned customized guides for their customers or have sponsored Zagat content in various media.
Over the years, Zagat Survey has won universal applause. For example, the Newhouse Syndicate has called Zagat guides "the most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable guides ever published," while The New York Times named them "a necessity second only to a valid credit card."
The company now employs approximately one hundred full-time staff at its Columbus Circle headquarters in New York City.
The Zagat Survey Mission:
To be the most trusted, useful, up-to-date, fun-to-read source for quality dining, travel and leisure activities, enabling savvy customers to share their experiences, make smart decisions and take action.