Beam Score Overview
Every restaurant on Restaurant Award receives a Beam Score — a composite score from 0 to 100 that measures overall venue performance across multiple dimensions. The score is calculated from publicly available data and updated regularly.
Score Components
Rating Score (0–100)
Measures the quality of the restaurant's rating relative to its category and location. A 4.8-star restaurant in a competitive city market scores differently than a 4.8-star restaurant in a less competitive area.
Review Confidence (0–100)
Evaluates the volume and recency of reviews. Restaurants with many recent reviews score higher than those with few or outdated reviews, as fresh reviews are a stronger signal of current quality.
Rating Health (0–100)
Tracks the stability and direction of the restaurant's rating over time. A steady or improving rating indicates healthy performance, while a declining rating signals potential issues.
Data Freshness (0–100)
Measures how recently the venue's information was last updated in our data pipeline. Restaurants with fresh data receive higher freshness scores.
Ranking Methodology
Restaurants are ranked within their city, state, and nationally by Beam Score. Rankings are recalculated after each data refresh cycle. Competitive position is determined by comparing a restaurant against its nearby competitors at 1km, 5km, and city-wide radii.
Data Sources
Restaurant Award uses publicly available business data including ratings, review counts, review timing, social presence indicators, and business listing details. We do not use private or proprietary restaurant operations data.
Update Frequency
Scorecard data is refreshed on a regular schedule. Most restaurants receive updated scores at least weekly, with high-activity venues refreshed more frequently.