Nation’s Restaurant News, the leading independent media brand serving the foodservice industry, has released its 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook, outlining the technology strategies and investment priorities of hundreds of restaurant operators.
A survey of nearly 400 restaurant operators, conducted by the nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence, the brand’s research and insights platform, found that a large number of operators, or 92%, are likely to increase spending on new technology in the next 12 months. 39% say they will “definitely” add new technology, and 53% say “probably” or “probably.”
Where they are directing those investments, respondents repeatedly cited a strong interest in digital tools that support a few key areas: customer experience and loyalty, employee productivity and operational efficiencies.
“The past few years have been a time of dramatic digital transformation for restaurants and, as our report shows, the pace of change is likely to accelerate,” said Christy Ravenberg, director of research and insights at Nation Restaurant News. “The 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook It offers a fascinating look into the minds of today’s restaurant operators, who told us that digital innovation is a non-negotiable to stay competitive – and they’re ready to embrace new tools that address their biggest business challenges.”
Other key findings of the report include:
- Limited technology budgets remain a factor, with 74% of respondents citing cost as the top challenge.
- Customer experience is king, with 57% of operators saying they will invest in digital tools designed to enhance service and guest convenience.
- Data remains an untapped opportunity, with 70% of restaurant operators asking if they are optimizing the information they collect about their guests.
- Labor issues loom large, with 37% of respondents citing employee retention and productivity as the primary application for technology in their business.
Discover more insights from the full report here.
Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence will dive further into the survey findings in an upcoming webinar.
2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook was sponsored by Boom, Panasonic and LifeLenz.
This report is the first release from Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence, a new line of research-backed thought leadership products. New data-driven intelligence reports are also in development for Nation’s Restaurant News’ sister brands: Supermarket News, Food Management and Restaurant Hospitality.
Nation’s Restaurant News, the leading independent media brand serving the foodservice industry, has released its 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook, outlining the technology strategies and investment priorities of hundreds of restaurant operators.
“Nation’s Restaurant News is already a leader in educating and connecting the foodservice industry through award-winning content and events. An important next step is to empower the industry with exclusive data and insights to help our audience and our partners identify business opportunities,” Joe Donnelly, Group Publisher of Informa Restaurant and Food Group said. “Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence is investing in research to explore complex questions, examine common challenges and showcase our partners’ thought leadership to help the industry better prepare for the future.”
For information about sponsorship opportunities for future surveys and research reports, contact Susan Szymanski [email protected].