A current study 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 research concerned 359 U.S. restaurant operators and 1,000 shoppers, and it highlights the methods that eating places are more likely to make use of to have interaction clients and enhance their backside line.
In keeping with the research, restaurant operators wish to improve visitor engagement in 2025 by implementing new pricing, ordering, and advertising methods. Additionally they goal 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 almost a 3rd (32%) planning to open a brand new location or develop 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%. Nevertheless, a majority (62%) anticipate their restaurant spending to remain regular in 2025, and 23% anticipate a rise.
As for the traits shoppers can anticipate from eating places, there are plans for fewer worth will increase and ordering charges. Whereas 57% of operators anticipate 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 scale back on-line ordering charges.
Using AI in restaurant operations can be anticipated to extend, with 34% of operators having already adopted AI expertise and 48% planning to take action in 2025. Moreover, the research reveals that 54% of operators imagine AI will change into a restaurant staple over the subsequent three years.
Eating places additionally plan to supply extra personalised presents and wider menu choices. Three out of 4 operators plan to extend their advertising actions and develop detailed profiles of friends’ preferences to ship tailor-made messages and presents.
By way of 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 supply standout eating experiences.
The survey was carried out anonymously from November 20, 2024, to January 10, 2025, for restaurant homeowners and on November 17 to 18, 2024, for shoppers.
