Bar is a Google Business Profile category used by 7 of the 187 local business types in our free guides — as the main (primary) category for 1 of them. Below is when it fits, when it should only be an extra category, and when to leave it off.
Find your categories with the free tool → pick your business type, tick what's true, copy the setup sheet
As a primary category
The primary category carries the most weight, so use it only if it describes the main thing this location is.
- Bar or pub: general bar
As an additional category
Add it on top of your primary category only when the condition is genuinely true at this location.
- Mexican restaurant: only if full bar / margaritas
- Barbecue restaurant: only if craft beer
- Brewery: only if taproom bar
- Hotel: only if bar open to public
- Event venue: only if bar service
- Escape room: only if bar on site
When to leave it off
For these business types it usually describes a different or broader business, so it tends to blur rather than help:
- Italian restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Pizzeria (unless a real bar area)
- Mexican restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Chinese restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Indian restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Thai restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Japanese restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Korean restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Vietnamese restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Mediterranean restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Burger restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Barbecue restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Steakhouse (unless a real bar area)
- Seafood restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Fish and chip shop (unless a real bar area)
- Vegan restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Breakfast and brunch restaurant (unless a real bar area)
- Sandwich shop (unless a real bar area)
- Liquor store
How to add or change it
In your Business Profile, edit your business category, start typing “Bar” and choose it from Google's list (you can't type a custom category). You get one primary and up to nine additional categories; fewer, accurate ones are better than a full list. Category changes can take a few days to show and Google may review them before they go live. Step-by-step: change your category safely · category not in the list?
Want the full picture for your business type? Browse all 187 business-type guides or all categories A–Z.