Key Predictions for What's Next in Restaurants for 2025

Restaurants will rely on data-driven insights, AI, and redefined technology solutions to maximize profits, adapt to trends, and reclaim guest relationships.

As the restaurant industry continues to face mounting pressures from rising costs, shifting consumer behaviors and sentiment, and the growing complexity of technology, SpotOn, a leading restaurant software and payments provider, reveals its 2025 predictions for independent restaurants. In the year ahead, operators will need to rethink their approach to technology, using it strategically to manage costs, improve efficiency, and stay ahead of industry challenges.

2025 will be the year restaurants redefine how they engage with technology. With AI and other advancements demanding more evaluation than ever, operators are now tasked with cutting through the noise to find the technology solutions and, more importantly, partners that will work for their specific needs. SpotOn expects operators to shift their focus to tech tools that prioritize operational efficiency, helping them manage costs while gaining a deeper understanding of their business and guests.

"Technology will be key to restaurants thriving in 2025, but the tools have to work for each unique operation," explains Bryan Solar, Chief Product Officer at SpotOn. "We’re preparing restaurant operators and owners to take control of their tech stack and to use data as their primary source of truth in everything from guest satisfaction to cost controls."

Data: The New Heartbeat of Restaurants

As the point-of-sale system evolves into a full restaurant-operating system, it will become the central hub uniting data across every aspect of the business. Operators will increasingly rely on their point-of-sale reporting to make business decisions in real-time, better understand consumer trends, and drive profitability. Operators who become more sophisticated in their use of data to anticipate and respond to guest needs will be the ones to exceed profit expectations, even in a highly competitive market. SpotOn Restaurant will offer multiple interfaces to address the needs of a larger group of restaurants, from a local watering hole to a multi-unit, full-service restaurant group.

Changing Consumer Behaviors to Shape 2025

One of the biggest challenges for restaurants in 2025 will be adapting to the continued decline in alcohol consumption, driven by generational and health trends, including the rising use of GLP-1 drugs. With alcohol sales shrinking, restaurants must reevaluate their offerings, menus, and inventory management to maintain profitability. This might mean finding new ways to increase check averages with pre-ordering tools like Seat & Send.  Tech-enabled insights will play a key role in helping operators make these crucial adjustments. Streamlined reporting will continue to evolve in various formats that point to actionable insights for operators so their time is spent improving their business instead of deciphering data.

AI: The Invisible Tool to Boost Profitability

As resources tighten, more restaurants will turn to AI to do more with less. While AI can help restaurants in several ways, operators should lean on their tech partners to identify the most effective uses. Earlier this year, the company introduced SpotOn Marketing Assist, the first automated, AI-enabled marketing tool for restaurants. SpotOn continues to develop AI advancements within its product to help restaurants identify opportunities for revenue growth and cost controls while providing better insights into guest behavior and their overall business. Importantly, SpotOn emphasizes that AI should enhance—not replace—hospitality. Invisible technology that streamlines operations while boosting the guest experience will be a defining factor for successful restaurants in 2025.

"Our focus is on creating technology that empowers restaurant operators to know their business inside and out," adds Solar. "From maximizing efficiency to staying ahead of consumer trends, 2025 will be about using tech intelligently to create better experiences for both staff and guests."