NRA: Over 25% of restaurant operators use AI

Marketing is the top area where automation is being used, followed by administrative tasks, according to a National Restaurant Association report.

By Julie Littman • Feb. 18, 2026

McDonald’s positions loyalty app at the center of its tech ambitions

Active loyalty members are the “single most important digital metric” for McDonald’s, EVP and CFO Ian Borden said.

By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 17, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Back-of-house Technology

From AI-enhanced inventory management systems and analytics to robot-powered kitchen equipment, restaurants are investing in technology solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce employee turnover. 

By Restaurant Dive staff

Restaurant lobby celebrates Illinois court win on swipe fees

A judge ruled the state can prohibit financial firms from charging interchange fees on tips and sales taxes.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 12, 2026

3 restaurant brands tap tech chiefs to scale operations

Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company and Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers added IT chiefs to their ranks in recent weeks.

By Roberto Torres • Feb. 11, 2026

Toast, Instacart launch just-in-time supply tool

Restaurants will be able to place Instacart Business orders through Toast’s platforms, offering a stopgap option when unexpected supply chain issues hit.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 10, 2026

Fogo de Chão deploys AI phone system

The full-service chain has been leaning heavily on artificial intelligence to manage various elements of its operations to enhance the guest experience.

By Julie Littman • Feb. 4, 2026

Just Salad launches ‘instant gratification’ rewards system

While many restaurant chains are shifting to points-based programs, the salad brand is leaning into gamified mystery rewards on every order above $12.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 2, 2026

From TikTok to the table: What I learned from opening Salt Hank’s

I had a day to decide if I was ready to turn my restaurant dream into reality. Here's what happened.

Feb. 2, 2026

3 takeaways from Starbucks’ Investor Day

From whitespace for 5,000 more stores to a chatbot that designs customized drinks, Starbucks has big plans now that it has returned to growth.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Jan. 30, 2026

Starbucks Rewards moves to a tiered structure

The chain is not changing the core points-for-dollar mechanism behind its Rewards system, but some consumers will earn points more quickly.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Updated Jan. 29, 2026

Grubhub parent acquires restaurant rewards app Claim

The delivery platform will integrate Claim’s technology, which helps restaurants acquire high-value, long-term customers, within its platform later this year.

By Julie Littman • Jan. 20, 2026

California law gives food delivery customers right to talk to a human

The legislation puts guardrails around how food delivery companies handle service issues and to what extent it can rely on automation.

By Kristen Doerer • Jan. 20, 2026

Why restaurant executives must reclaim the website in the era of AI

In a world of AI chatbots and changing guest search behavior, the restaurant website is more important than ever.

By Kelsey Verdier • Jan. 20, 2026

Taco Bell aims for memorable, not frictionless, experiences

Fast, easy experiences are part of good CX, but they aren’t the most important ingredient, Taco Bell’s Dane Mathews said at NRF.

By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 15, 2026

January reset: Turning the post-holiday slowdown into strategic growth

Savvy operators can stop revenue bleed and convert downtime into training time, writes Toast’s Julie Powell.

By Julie Powell • Jan. 12, 2026

Why a national pretzel brand keeps coming back to Square

Ben's Soft Pretzels has explored other options over the years, but keeps coming back to Square.

Jan. 12, 2026

Toast, Clover battle for small eateries

The two payments processors have the biggest market shares with respect to smaller restaurants, according to a new report from the financial firm Baird.

By Lynne Marek • Jan. 12, 2026

Presto raises $10M in funding

The drive-thru voice AI company, which spun off its tabletop business in 2024, will put the cash toward expansion, deployments and further innovation.

By Julie Littman • Jan. 8, 2026

Starbucks hires technology chief from Amazon

Anand Varadarajan brings nearly two decades of retail technology experience to the coffee giant, which is working to implement customer-centric solutions.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Dec. 22, 2025

DoorDash tests AI-powered restaurant discovery app

The delivery giant’s technology chief said Zesty, now in testing in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, improves local restaurant visibility.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Dec. 17, 2025

The 3 ingredients of the golden age of loyalty

Loyalty’s golden age: brands win with personal, playful and community-driven engagement.

By Joe Yetter, General Manager of PAR Engagement at PAR Technology • Dec. 15, 2025

DoorDash, Uber Eats sue NYC over tip prompt rules

The delivery aggregators allege that New York City’s requirement that they ask consumers to tip drivers before checkout abridges their freedom of speech. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Dec. 12, 2025

Starbucks’ on-premise experience could stave off coffee competitors

CEO Brian Niccol said the chain’s emphasis on a coffeehouse atmosphere would result in consumers choosing the chain over “soulless” options.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Dec. 10, 2025

Activating the long tail: A digital-first strategy for SMB customer acquisition

A smarter way for restaurants to win repeat business from small and midsize companies.

By By Kunal Shah, Kajal Narasimha and Mrugesh Agarwala • Dec. 8, 2025

White Castle debuts burger kiosk at Boston Logan Airport

The automated kiosk gives the chain, which has long embraced new technologies, a toehold in New England with which to build brand awareness.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Updated Dec. 3, 2025