Doing it all: The restaurant of the (near) future will be designed for multiple revenue streams, minimal costsDoing it all: The restaurant of the (near) future will be designed for multiple revenue streams, minimal costs

There was a time when a restaurant’s segment said a lot about what features a concept might have. A casual-dining concept likely had lots of dine-in seating, a bar area and, ideally, a patio and plenty of parking. A quick-service concept sought space for a drive-thru, and a fast-casual player designed restaurants for quick pickup.

But for the restaurant of the (near) future, operators across the industry will be looking to do it all.

Off-premise is expected to remain a high priority, and restaurants will continue to strengthen their digital and to-go service — even as they enhance and expand on-premise dining, particularly outdoors.

Operators will design kitchens to generate new revenue streams, like additional virtual brands available for ...