Key takeaways
- Share one deal to the group chat instead of asking an open question: a concrete option ends the debate.
- Call the restaurant to check there's room for your group.
- Everyone can claim their own deal. Each code keeps changing, so it only works on its owner's phone.
- Split by what you ordered, and share a deal's saving fairly: the arithmetic is below.
- Quiet hours are best for groups: more room, more deals, more patient kitchens.
The short answer
Groups get stuck on choosing, not eating. Share one concrete deal to the group chat, check with the restaurant that there's room, go in a quiet hour if you can, and agree up front how you'll split. FIG helps with the first: share a restaurant's link to your group chat, and everyone sees the same place and its live deals.
1. Decide fast
"Where should we eat?" invites twenty answers. "2-for-1 noodles at this place, 10 minutes away, 6 pm?" invites a yes. On FIG, share the restaurant's link to your group chat: everyone sees the same place and its live deals. If the first one doesn't land, share the next one. Two or three options is plenty.
Set the group's must-haves in FIG's filters (halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, a budget) before you look, so every option you share already works for everyone.
2. Check there's room
Six people at 7 pm on a Friday is a different ask from six at 5 pm on a Tuesday. Call the restaurant and ask.
3. Make the deal work for the table
- Everyone can claim. If a deal suits everyone, each person claims their own on their own phone. Codes keep changing, so each one only works on its owner's phone, and screenshots don't scan.
- Check the details. Some deals are on specific dishes, some on the whole order, some for dine-in only. Read the deal before the group commits.
- Watch the daily cap. Popular deals can run out. Claim before you leave home.
- Ask if unsure. How the deal applies to a shared bill is the restaurant's call. A quick call before you go saves an awkward moment at the till.
4. Split fairly
Three common ways, from simplest to fairest:
| Method | Good for |
|---|---|
| Split evenly | Everyone ordered about the same |
| Pay for what you ordered | Very different orders |
| Pay for what you ordered, share the deal's saving | When one person's deal discounted dishes everyone shared |
- Orders: two $15 bowls on a 2-for-1, plus a $12 bowl and a $14 bowl. Food total before the deal: $56.
- The deal takes off one $15 bowl: food $41.00.
- HST at 13%: $5.33. Bill: $46.33.
- Evenly: $46.33 ÷ 4 = $11.58 each, with a cent left over.
- By order: the two 2-for-1 eaters share the one paid $15 bowl, $7.50 each; the others pay $12 and $14. With tax: $8.48, $8.48, $13.56 and $15.82.
Evenly, the two people who ordered more pay less than their share; by order, the 2-for-1 pair saves the most. Agree on the method before you order.
5. Go when it's quiet
Groups are easier for a restaurant in quiet hours: there's room to push tables together and the kitchen isn't slammed. Those are also the hours when restaurants post deals. Early weeknight dinners are the sweet spot. When Markham restaurants post deals.
6. After the meal
Each person whose visit was scanned can rate the restaurant. If the place handled your group well, say so: reviews on FIG come only from real visits, so they carry weight with the next group deciding.
Questions
How do I get my friends to agree on a restaurant?
Share one concrete option, a deal with a place, time and distance, instead of an open question. Two or three options is plenty.
Can everyone in my group use the same deal?
Each person can claim their own if the deal suits them. Codes are personal and keep changing, so one person's code can't be shared.
How should we split a bill with a deal?
Agree first: evenly is simplest; paying for what you ordered, with any deal saving shared by the people it applied to, is fairest.
How do I check if a restaurant can fit our group?
Call the restaurant and ask, especially for a big group at a busy hour.
When is the best time to eat out as a group?
Quiet hours, like early weeknight dinners: more room, an easier kitchen, and more deals.
Do deals apply to the whole table?
It depends on the deal: some are on specific dishes, some on the whole order. Check the deal, or call the restaurant before you go.
