AI, Decrease Costs, and Distinctive Eating Experiences

A current examine by Popmenu, an organization serving over 10,000 eating places with its expertise, reveals key traits anticipated to form the U.S. restaurant business in 2025. The examine concerned 359 U.S. restaurant operators and 1,000 shoppers, and it highlights the methods that eating places are prone to make use of to have interaction prospects and enhance their backside line.

In keeping with the examine, restaurant operators wish to improve visitor engagement in 2025 by implementing new pricing, ordering, and advertising and marketing methods. In addition they intention to create distinctive eating experiences and to undertake synthetic intelligence (AI) and automation to fill labor gaps and improve customer support.

Within the wake of rising meals and labor prices and intense competitors, most restaurant operators (62%) are cautiously optimistic about their enterprise prospects in 2025. There are additionally enlargement plans, with practically a 3rd (32%) planning to open a brand new location or broaden present ones.

From the standpoint of shoppers, restaurant visits and takeout/supply orders have barely declined, right down to 69% from final 12 months’s 75%. Nonetheless, a majority (62%) count on their restaurant spending to remain regular in 2025, and 23% anticipate a rise.

As for the traits shoppers can count on from eating places, there are plans for fewer worth will increase and ordering charges. Whereas 57% of operators count on some enhance in menu costs, this can be a important drop from final 12 months’s 71% and 93% in 2022. As well as, 75% of operators intend to cut back on-line ordering charges.

Using AI in restaurant operations can also be anticipated to extend, with 34% of operators having already adopted AI expertise and 48% planning to take action in 2025. Moreover, the examine reveals that 54% of operators imagine AI will grow to be a restaurant staple over the following three years.

Eating places additionally plan to supply extra personalised provides and wider menu choices. Three out of 4 operators plan to extend their advertising and marketing actions and develop detailed profiles of company’ preferences to ship tailor-made messages and provides.

When it comes to eating experiences, operators want to differentiate themselves by providing limited-time menus, basic dishes with a twist, worth meals, and distinctive eating experiences. 74% plan to offer standout eating experiences.

The survey was performed anonymously from November 20, 2024, to January 10, 2025, for restaurant house owners and on November 17 to 18, 2024, for shoppers.