Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2026

DATA CHECK

TECH EMBRACE Restaurant Operators Look To New Technology For Cost Control, Profit Advancement

BY CAROL WARD

lthough their motivations have shifted in light of a slowdown in business, restaurant operators

operators are looking to adopt - up 13 percentage points year over year to 53% of respondents seeking this solution. Technology focused on driving top-line sales, such as digital marketing to boost traffic and frequency, were still a priority for nearly half of operators (49%). But after being the top investment target for two years running, digital marketing slipped to number two. Other tech platforms focused on cutting costs and boosting productivity rose toward the top of the list as well, with more operators eyeing investments in inventory management (43%), labor

management (37%), plus roughly a third focusing on how tech can improve both front-of-house and back-of-house operations. Just 29% said they were interested in expanding their digital ordering channels, a nine-point decline from the 38% who said the same a year ago. “Essentially, operators frequently are not looking to add new capabilities,” the study authors noted, adding that respondents also expressed strong interest in how AI could optimize such functions as inventory management, scheduling and kitchen prep.

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are ready to invest in technology, the latest Restaurant Technology Outlook report found. The report, produced jointly by Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Business , found that even as operators grapple with persistent challenges around costs, capabilities and integration, they remain committed to technology as the key to their future success. “The tools they’re interested in buying may shift from year to year, but the commitment to technology in general hasn’t wavered,” the report noted. Nearly nine in 10 operators say they will “definitely,” “probably” or “possibly” invest in technology in the next 12 months, a figure that has held relatively steady since the introduction of the report in 2023. Eye on Efficiency Operators’ planned tech investments for 2026 reflect a subtle change in their priorities, the report noted. “After years of guest experience and digital marketing dominating our survey results, this year’s responses show a focus on improving the bottom line,” the Restaurant Technology Outlook noted. “Essentially, they’re no longer looking to add new bells and whistles but rather looking to tech to unlock operational efficiencies and do what they already do, just better.” This year, POS systems emerged as the top technology restaurant

3% No Will Your Operation Invest In New Technology In the Next 12 Months?

10% Possibly not

35% De nitely

20% Possibly

Up from 34% last year

Down from 25% last year

32% Probably

Up from 29% last year

Base: All respondents (n=474) Source: The 2026 Restaurant Technology Outlook Report, from Restaurant Business and Nation’s Restaurant News

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AX NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2026