Nation’s Restaurant News, the leading independent media brand serving the food service industry, has released its 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook, which outlines the technology strategies and investment priorities of hundreds of restaurant operators.
The survey of nearly 400 restaurant operators, conducted by Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence, the brand’s research and insight platform, found that the majority of operators, or 92%, are likely to increase spending on new technology in the next 12 months, with 39% saying they “definitely” will add new technology and 53% saying they “probably” or “possibly” will.
As for where they manage investments, respondents repeatedly mentioned the strong interest in digital tools that support several key areas: customer experience and loyalty, employee productivity and operational efficiency. .
“The last few years have been a period of dramatic digital transformation for restaurants and, as our report reveals, the pace of change is likely to accelerate,” said Christi Ravneberg, director of research and perspective for Nation’s Restaurant News. “The 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook offers a fascinating look inside the minds of today’s restaurant operators, who increasingly tell us that digital innovation is non-negotiable in order to remain competitive – and that they are willing to embrace the 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 a top challenge.
- Customer experience is king, with 57% of operators saying they will invest in digital tools designed to improve service and convenience
- Data remains an untapped opportunity, with 70% of restaurant operators asking if they optimize the information they collect about their guests.
- Labor issues are huge, with 37% of respondents citing employee retention and productivity as a top application for technology in their businesses.
Discover more insights from the full report HERE.
Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence will dive further into the survey results in an upcoming webinar.
The 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook is sponsored by Boom, Panasonic and LifeLenz.
The report is the first release from Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence, a new line of research-backed 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 food service industry, has released its 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook, which outlines the technology strategies and investment priorities of hundreds of restaurant operators.
“Nation’s Restaurant News is already the leader in educating and connecting the food service industry through award-winning content and events. The next important step is to empower the industry through exclusive data and insights to help our audience and our partners identify business opportunities,” said Joe Donnelly, group publisher at Informa Restaurant & Food Group. “Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence invests in research to identify complex questions, explore shared challenges, and demonstrate the thought leadership of our colleagues, to help the industry better prepare for the future.
For information on sponsorship opportunities for future surveys and research reports, contact Susan Szymanski at [email protected].
