Restaurant technology choices affect more than a checkout screen. They shape how guests order and pay, how teams handle a rush, and how owners protect margin. The statistics below bring together recent, named sources in one place for restaurant owners, writers, and industry researchers.
Guest expectations
Fast ordering and payment are part of the restaurant decision.
Off-premises customers increasingly judge a restaurant on how easy it is to place, pay for, and return to an order. These figures show why a reliable POS and payment flow has become part of the guest experience.
$1.55 trillion
Projected U.S. restaurant and foodservice sales in 2026
The National Restaurant Association projects nationwide sales of $1.55 trillion in 2026, with inflation-adjusted gains of 1.3%.
National Restaurant Association, State of the Restaurant Industry 2026February 2026
75%
Delivery customers who say ordering and payment technology matters when choosing a restaurant
Convenient technology matters to off-premises guests, especially when they are deciding where to place a delivery order.
National Restaurant Association, Off-Premises Restaurant Trends 20252025
64%
Takeout customers who say ordering and payment technology matters when choosing a restaurant
The same study found that a smooth digital ordering and payment experience influences the takeout decision for nearly two in three customers.
National Restaurant Association, Off-Premises Restaurant Trends 20252025
64%
Drive-thru customers who say ordering and payment technology matters when choosing a restaurant
For drive-thru guests, speed and a straightforward payment flow are part of how the restaurant is evaluated.
National Restaurant Association, Off-Premises Restaurant Trends 20252025
65%
Drive-thru customers who say a loyalty or rewards program matters when choosing a restaurant
Loyalty is especially relevant to repeat off-premises business, with delivery and takeout customers both reporting 61%.
National Restaurant Association, Off-Premises Restaurant Trends 20252025
Operator priorities
Restaurant owners are balancing margin, labor, and growth.
Recent operator survey data shows the pressure behind many restaurant technology decisions. Systems need to help the team move faster without making the operation harder to manage.
40%
Restaurant operators who named profitability as their top goal for the next year
Improving the bottom line ranked ahead of other business goals in Toast’s survey of 712 U.S. restaurant decision-makers.
47%
Restaurant operators focused on improving staff efficiency
Hiring challenges are driving operators to look for ways to make each shift run more efficiently.
48%
Restaurant operators who planned to raise menu prices if inflation continued
The result illustrates the pressure restaurant owners face when food and labor costs rise.
1 in 4
Restaurant operators planning to expand in the next year
Even in a difficult operating environment, a meaningful share of surveyed operators expected to grow.
Methodology & sources
How to use these statistics
Each statistic is taken directly from the named source and keeps its original reporting year. This page is updated when key sources publish new information. The latest update was September 1, 2026.
- National Restaurant Association, State of the Restaurant Industry 2026, published February 2026.
- National Restaurant Association, Off-Premises Restaurant Trends 2025.
- Toast, 2025 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey, based on a survey of 712 U.S. restaurant decision-makers conducted April 18 through May 13, 2025.
Cite this page
Process with Bryant. “U.S. Restaurant POS & Technology Statistics.” Updated September 1, 2026.
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