2026

Restaurant Trends to Watch

As prolonged inflation and economic uncertainty weigh heavily on household budgets, the majority (68%) of U.S. consumers say they are cutting back on restaurant dining this year and prioritizing affordability and convenience. In February 2026, consumers reported spending around $90 per week on restaurants, on average, down from $115 in June 2025.

To win against increasingly fierce competition, 97% of restaurant operators say they are sharpening focus on their guest experience—evolving strategies around pricing, menus, marketing, technology, and operations. Learn what consumers expect from restaurants in 2026 and how operators are adapting to rise to the challenge in Popmenu’s nationwide studies of 328 U.S. restaurant leaders and 1,000 U.S. consumers.

"Economic pressure is not letting up for restaurants who see costs continue to increase and consumer confidence plummet. Operators are actively seeking ways to gain an edge at every step of the guest journey—from when they search for restaurants online to when they place an order and choose whether to return. You’ll see that play out in new menu options and dining experiences, frequent and targeted digital marketing, and more tech-enabled hospitality."

Woman with brown hair holding a copper mug cocktail in a bar setting.

Brendan Sweeney, CEO and Co-founder of Popmenu

Great Expectations:

The Guest Point of View

Consumers say they are looking for dining experiences, not just a meal—often making decisions based on value, vibe, ease and digital reputation.

41%

of consumers expect restaurants to use technology to make their experience better (faster, more convenient, more informed).

When asked about deal breakers when evaluating dining options, consumers pointed to hikes in menu prices, lack of budget-friendly dishes, insufficient portions, and poor reviews, especially if the restaurant didn’t respond. Inconsistent menus and restaurant details like hours of operation on different digital channels is also a pet peeve.

On the flip side, consumers are more likely to choose restaurants who offer value meals and loyalty programs, who feature photos, reviews and direct online ordering on the menu, and who answer their phones.

What makes consumers less likely to choose a restaurant?

What makes consumers more likely to choose a restaurant?

More than half (57%) of consumers say restaurant meals have become significantly more expensive over the last year, inspiring actions to curb expenses going forward. Of those planning to reduce restaurant spend:

81%

plan to eat out less often.

64%

plan to pick up takeout orders more often than delivery.

36%

plan to eat at less expensive restaurants.

2026 Outlook:

The Restaurant Operators’ Point of View

What could negatively affect the U.S. economy, according to operators.

Despite concerns over factors that could slow U.S. economic performance, operators remain optimistic about their business outlook but are growing more cautious.

How operators feel about the year ahead.

2026

2025

2024

Very optimistic

25%

29%

33%

Cautiously optimistic

63%

61%

56%

Not optimistic

12%

10%

11%

More than 1 in 4 (28%) plan to add a new location or expand an existing one, down from 32% last year.

6 Ways

Operators Plan to Improve the Guest Experience This Year

Operators are focused on enhancing the entire guest journey—from discovering a restaurant online to the dining experience itself and the moments that determine whether guests come back and recommend their restaurant.

#1 Making it easy for guests to find them.

Most hungry consumers look for new places to dine on Google and other search engines. However, reliance on AI-powered answer engines is growing with 1 in 5 consumers using ChatGPT and other tools to find eateries.

85%

of consumers look for restaurants on Google and other search engines.

20%

use AI to search for restaurants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.).

Operators say they will continue to optimize their digital presence to be more visible to consumers, regardless of where they’re searching. This includes trading in PDF menus for interactive experiences and treating each dish on their online menu as a separate page for Google to index, among other measures.

"We are a marketing-led business. Having more links and more interaction on your menu, the ability for guests to not only view your items but be able to look at multiple pictures, leave reviews, like it, sign up to be a VIP—it’s all so important. We’ve had thousands of people sign up to receive emails or texts. It’s been invaluable for us to drive new and repeat business."

Charlie Wood-Jones, Co-founder of Cawsburger

#2 Activating more frequent, more personalized marketing.

Nearly half of consumers (48%) want to hear from their favorite restaurants at least once a week; 16% say every other week.

To reach more guests, more often, 81% of operators are increasing marketing activity this year and tailoring communications by location and individual guest.

87%

are using tech to automatically send personalized messages to guests.

50%

plan to send emails and texts to guests at least once a week.

74%

are running more location-specific marketing.

How often restaurants are posting on social media

34%

once or twice a week

32%

every day

27%

every other day

How often operators track marketing’s impact on traffic, revenue, and business growth

32%

every week

27%

every month

15%

every day

20%

rarely or never

"Having data is one thing, but having the tools to follow up and do something with it is even more critical. We don't want to rest on our laurels in marketing. We keep looking at the data and learning from it to take action."

Vaughan Dugan, Partner and Founder of Kapow! Noodle Bar | Craft & Counsel

#3 Strengthening loyalty.

Nearly 3 in 4 operators plan to step up their loyalty game. On average, restaurants are adding more than 100 new guest contacts to their email lists every month to fuel ongoing marketing.*

72%

will provide more special offers and rewards.

60%

will invite guests to join their VIP list.

38%

are considering gaming technology for loyalty rewards.

#4 Serving new dining experiences and menus.

Consumers can expect to see more unique dining experiences from 61% of operators: cool ambiance, theme nights, interactive dinners, nostalgia pop-ups, virtual reality, and more. Nearly 1 in 5 operators plan to offer hybrid dining experiences such as blending fine dining with casual dining or providing counter service by day and full service by night.

Consumers can also expect to see menus evolve at their favorite eateries.

"We never lost focus on the guest experience…on whether that guest is going to leave happier than when they came in. That’s what we do in restaurants. We try to improve one moment of the day. We create experiences at the table and through technology."

Juan Henao, VP of La Parrilla and Casi Cielo

#5 Increasing attention on the restaurant's reputation.

Improving the restaurant’s digital reputation is a key focus for 87% of operators who are closely monitoring guest comments and reviews and ensuring restaurant listings are accurate.

68%

are responding to reviews in a more timely manner.

63%

are actively monitoring activity on their social channels and responding to guest comments.*

51%

are ensuring their menus and restaurant info are up to date on all digital channels.

41%

are incentivizing guests to leave reviews on the restaurant’s website.*

#6 Leaning on AI and automation.

Tasked with doing more with less, operators are turning to AI and automation to boost productivity, alleviate pressure on staff, and connect with guests at scale.

"It's always been our goal to be consistent without being bland and robotic across all locations. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for ways to make the systems we have and the technology we have work more efficiently for us."

Nick Meyer, Director of Operations and Owner of Local Food Group

44%

have adopted AI at their restaurants.

25%

plan to adopt AI this year.

55%

are using AI to write marketing content.

42%

plan to automate more functions.

How restaurants are managing

high food and labor costs

Following a slowdown in price hikes last year, continued inflationary pressure and softer demand are pushing operators to raise menu prices to keep their heads above water.

Percentage of operators increasing menu prices:

71%

2026

57%

2025

71%

2024

72%

2023

93%

2022

Nearly one third (31%) of operators are considering variable pricing (i.e., price changes based on demand, time of day, day of week, seasonality). This is up from 22% last year.

Additional ways operators are managing costs are by reducing waste and improving sustainability (67%) and consolidating tools (31%).

That's a wrap

As consumers tighten spending and competition intensifies, restaurant operators are rolling out strategies to elevate the guest experience and become the go-to choice every time. From optimizing for search and answer engines to increasing marketing frequency and personalization, strengthening loyalty, enhancing dining experiences and leveraging AI and automation, operators are taking a comprehensive approach to managing their reputation and staying ahead.

Survey methodology

Popmenu conducted an anonymous, nationwide study of 328 U.S. restaurant owners and operators from January 8 to January 31, 2026. Popmenu also conducted an anonymous, nationwide survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, ages 21 and older, from February 4 to 5, 2026.

*Data from Popmenu's nationwide study of 300 U.S restaurant leaders in Q3 2025.

About Popmenu

As a leader in restaurant technology, Popmenu is on a mission to make profitable growth easy for all restaurants. Digital marketing, online ordering, and on-premise technologies headline a powerful product suite infused with artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and deep data on guest preferences. The company consolidates tools needed to engage guests, serving as a digital control center for more than 10,000 independent restaurants and hospitality groups in the US, UK, and Canada. For more information, visit popmenu.com. 

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to the next level?

2026

Restaurant Trends to Watch

Great Expectations:

The Guest Point of View

41%

What makes consumers less likely to choose a restaurant?

What makes consumers more likely to choose a restaurant?

81%

64%

36%

2026 Outlook:

The Restaurant Operators’ Point of View

What could negatively affect the U.S. economy, according to operators.

How operators feel about the year ahead.

2026

2025

2024

Very optimistic

25%

29%

33%

Cautiously optimistic

63%

61%

56%

Not optimistic

12%

10%

11%

6 Ways

Operators Plan to Improve the Guest Experience This Year

#1 Making it easy for guests to find them.

85%

20%

#2 Activating more frequent, more personalized marketing.

87%

50%

74%

How often restaurants are posting on social media

How often operators track marketing’s impact on traffic, revenue, and business growth

#3 Strengthening loyalty.

#4 Serving new dining experiences and menus.

#5 Increasing attention on the restaurant's reputation.

68%

63%

51%

41%

#6 Leaning on AI and automation.

44%

25%

55%

42%

How restaurants are managing

high food and labor costs

Percentage of operators increasing menu prices:

That's a wrap

Survey methodology

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