Connected tech, not more tools, will define restaurants’ next advantage
After years of adding tools for ordering, payments, labor, inventory and marketing, restaurant technology is entering a new phase. Operators’ next advantage will come from connecting those systems and turning their combined data into timely, practical intelligence, according to the National Restaurant Association’s new Research Insight paper, Digital Innovation: The Future of Restaurant Technology.
The paper, presented by DoorDash and supported by PayPal, notes that the business case extends well beyond cost reduction, indicating that 82.2% of operators say technology has benefited their business, while 64.4% say it improves the customer’s experience and 63.9% claim increased sales as a reason to invest in the tools.
Customers expect digital options
The research confirms that technology options influence restaurant selections for 77% of delivery, 66% of takeout, and 65% of drive-thru customers. Furthermore, about 7 in 10 consumers said they would order and pay through an app, website, or kiosk if available to them.
But the goal isn’t just more technology. It is better connected technology that removes friction without diminishing the guest experience. That balance, the research finds, is achievable. In fact, 65% of operators say technology improves hospitality.
Connected intelligence can create value in three areas. Integrated sales, labor, inventory, and customer data can strengthen forecasts and speed decisions about staffing, preparation, and purchasing. Loyalty, ordering, and reservation data can support more relevant offers and recognition of special occasions. Automation can reduce paperwork, improve consistency, and give managers more time to coach teams and serve guests.
AI adoption is accelerating
Artificial intelligence is helping drive the shift. According to the research, 38.6% of operators use AI, most often for personalized marketing and customer feedback analysis. But looking ahead five years, 77.9% of survey respondents said they expect technology, data and AI to be, at the very least, moderately critical to their businesses.
Connected systems = measurable growth
For operators facing thin margins, labor constraints and rising guest expectations, connected systems can turn existing technology into measurable growth, resilience, and stronger hospitality. But the largest barriers are as organizational as they are technical: cost (48.8%), business fit (43.8%), workforce and skill gaps (41.3%), integration (38.8%) and data privacy or security risks (33.1%).
“Technology can’t compensate for inconsistent processes, unreliable data, or unclear objectives,” says Chad Moutray, the Association’s chief economist and vice president of research, “but it can amplify the operating foundation that’s already in place.”
He added that for operators, the next practical step is to connect what their current tools know so that the combined information can accelerate their decisions, support execution, and elevate hospitality.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
DoorDash Direct is an all-in-one restaurant marketing and ordering system that helps restaurants grow on their own terms. DoorDash Direct gives operators one place to set up and run the online side of their restaurant: a custom-branded website built to rank, a mobile app built by the DoorDash team, direct ordering, catering, cross-channel loyalty, and automated email and text campaigns that keep guests coming back. DoorDash Direct works alongside DoorDash Marketplace, where sixty million people already order food on their phones, so operators can see which of them order from their restaurant and bring those guests back to order direct at 0% commission.
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
PayPal has remained at the forefront of the digital payment revolution for over 25 years. By leveraging technology to make financial services and commerce more convenient, affordable, and secure, the PayPal platform empowers people and businesses to join and thrive in the global economy.
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