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Can Technology Embolden Hospitality? Restaurants Are About to Find Out.

Our Most Compelling Data:

85%

of restaurant leaders said they want to invest in technology to help improve their business over the next 12 months.

>75%

More than 75% of restaurant leaders believe AI or automation will improve tasks like marketing, inventory management, payments, and more.

74%

of consumers said they want to see automation in at least one area when a restaurant isn't fully staffed to fill critical gaps.

Technology is saving restaurants time, and they want more

While AI and automation technology are still relatively new to the restaurant industry, the majority of business owners we surveyed are all in.

Restaurant leaders told us they already see the benefits of the automation technology they’ve put into play, particularly with back-of-house tasks.

Roughly one-third of restaurant leaders say automation saves time during the ordering process via self-service kiosks, mobile apps, and kitchen display systems (KDS). And they think things are about to get better. Two-thirds of restaurant leaders believe AI or automation will improve each of the 15 areas we asked about, the most popular of which are marketing and promotions (77%), inventory management (77%), payments (76%), menu optimization (76%), and staff management (75%).

That said, don’t expect to see armies of robot waiters in 2025. While 74% of consumers we asked agreed they’d want to see automation in at least one area to fill critical gaps when a restaurant isn't fully staffed, that leaves more than a quarter of potential diners who don’t want restaurants to use automation at all. This hesitance is understandable; having a server who understands the menu inside out and receiving a food recommendation you wouldn’t have considered are invaluable personal touches restaurant staff provide.

If restaurant leaders stay hyperaware of the balance between automation and customer experience, they may be able to usher in a new form of dining hospitality — one with technology that works to uplift your front- and back-of-house teams. For example, no customer would object to a scenario in which technology — like your point-of-sale system and KDS — work together to route orders while your team spends more time talking to customers and customizing their orders for quick delivery.

That scenario satisfies everyone, as your staff becomes more efficient while delivering what customers want most (and consumers ranked knowledgeable staff as the element they prefer engaging with at a restaurant, over all forms of technology).

Key takeaway:

Savvy restaurant leaders will try out new technology in the coming year while simultaneously emphasizing improvements to the face-to-face human elements of their businesses. After all, diners won’t stop by only to glance at your new mobile point-of-sale devices. But they will be impressed when your friendly staff uses a mobile POS to take their orders and get them to the table five minutes faster than usual, all while ensuring the pasta in their cacio e pepe is subbed out to the gluten-free kind as requested.

Pro tip:

Start by investing in back-of-house automation that customers don’t interact with, like automated payroll or automated timecards and tip pooling. If you introduce front-of-house automation, be sure you have the staff to support the tech. This could mean having a staff member on hand to answer menu questions while guests order independently at a self-service kiosk.