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.
The survey of nearly 400 restaurant operators, which was conducted by Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence, the brand’s research and insights platform, found that the vast 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’re directing those investments, respondents repeatedly cited strong interest in digital tools that supported 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 the restaurants and, as our report reveals, the pace of change is likely to accelerate,” said Christi Ravneberg, director of research and insights for Nation’s Restaurant News. “The 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook offers a fascinating look inside the minds of today’s restaurant operators, who overwhelmingly told us that digital innovation is a non-negotiable to stay competitive — and that 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 a top challenge.
- Customer experience is king, with 57% of operators saying they’ll be investing in digital tools designed to enhance service and convenience for guests.
- Data remains an untapped opportunity, with 70% of restaurant operators questioning if they’re optimizing the information, they collect about their guests.
- Labor issues loom large, with 37% of respondents citing employee retention and productivity as a primary application for technology in their businesses.
Uncover even more insights from the full report here.
Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence will dive further into the survey findings in an upcoming webinar.
The 2023 Restaurant Technology Outlook was sponsored by Boom, Panasonic and LifeLenz.
The 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 the leader in educating and connecting the foodservice industry through award-winning content and events. The crucial next step is empowering the industry through exclusive data and insights to help both our audiences and our partners identify business opportunities," said Joe Donnelly, group publisher of the Informa Restaurant & Food Group. "Nation’s Restaurant News Intelligence is investing in research to explore complex questions, examine shared challenges, and showcase the thought leadership of our partners, in order 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].
