7 Restaurant Industry Trends for 2024
The restaurant industry is bracing for another year of challenges in 2024 as familiar pressures like inflation, price-sensitive customers, and rising operational costs continue to impact businesses across the board. With capital remaining scarce and traffic sluggish, restaurant operators are navigating a tough landscape, prompting many to seek out innovative solutions to stay competitive.
As Bryan Solar, Chief Product Officer at SpotOn, puts it, “Right now is the hardest it has ever been in the past 25-plus years of running restaurants.“
To tackle these issues, industry experts foresee restaurants embracing new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to streamline operations and cut labor costs. Service fees may become more common, helping restaurants manage labor expenses and retain employees, but the challenge will be balancing this with customer expectations.
Meanwhile, brands are also experimenting with menu options and beverage customization to appeal to younger, value-conscious diners and drive off-peak traffic. These trends, along with others, will shape the strategies that define the restaurant industry in 2024.
Read on to discover the seven key trends to watch for in the coming year.
Key Restaurant Industry Trends Shaping 2024
1. Service Fees: A New Normal for Full-Service Restaurants
Service fees are becoming increasingly common, particularly in regions where minimum wages for restaurant workers are rising, such as Washington, D.C. and Chicago. These fees, often ranging between 4% and 23%, help operators cover employee benefits like health care and stable wages.
While these fees can boost employee retention by insulating staff from unpredictable tips, there’s a risk of alienating price-sensitive customers. Restaurant owners need to strike a balance between offering competitive compensation and managing customer expectations around pricing transparency.
As restaurants adjust, education and transparency are key. AAA Food Handler provides valuable food safety and management training to help restaurant operators streamline operations while complying with regulations. Their expertise helps owners navigate new trends, ensuring staff are well-trained and equipped for the evolving restaurant landscape.
2. Value-Driven Menus and Smaller Price Hikes
Inflation-driven price hikes will moderate in 2024. Instead of steep increases, restaurants will look to raise prices by 3-5%, down from the double-digit hikes seen in 2023. With consumers reaching their spending limit, restaurants will focus on delivering value. Chains like Church’s Chicken are re-engineering their menus to offer more cost-effective options without compromising on quality.
Value engineering, paired with menu innovation, can be a game changer in retaining customers. As customers tighten their budgets, experimenting with pricing configurations while maintaining quality will be essential for survival.
3. Streamlined Menus with an Emphasis on Snacks and Beverages
Efficiency is crucial in 2024, with many chains streamlining their menus to reduce operational complexity. However, snack items and customizable beverage offerings are expected to grow. Restaurants are capitalizing on mid-afternoon traffic by offering caffeinated beverages, smoothies, and energy-boosting snacks to appeal to younger consumers.
McDonald’s new CosMc concept is an example of this trend, emphasizing customizable, functional drinks that appeal to snacking occasions. The focus on beverages as destination drivers reflects an industry shift towards innovation and meeting consumer demand for variety.
4. AI Adoption and Labor-Saving Technology
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in restaurants is expanding, particularly in the back-of-house. AI-powered kitchen systems will help operators optimize efficiency, manage order flow and reduce prep times. While customer-facing technology like kiosks and AI-driven drive-thrus will enhance convenience, the real impact will be felt behind the scenes.
AAA Food Handler plays a vital role in this shift by offering food safety training that integrates modern technology, ensuring restaurant employees can work more efficiently while maintaining safety standards. Operators are also increasingly adopting handheld devices to speed up table service, enhancing guest experiences and increasing sales. The move to automate repetitive tasks will allow restaurant staff to focus on high-value hospitality moments.
5. Tech-Enhanced Employee Retention and Productivity
With labor shortages improving only slightly, restaurants are focusing on technology to handle repetitive tasks, allowing staff to focus on guest interactions. Tools like kiosks and order-at-table devices free up workers to engage more meaningfully with customers while also driving sales through upselling opportunities.
Automation isn’t just about reducing headcount; it’s about improving labor productivity. Restaurants are embracing tech solutions, such as AI-driven systems and back-office automation, to simplify tasks like employee scheduling and supply management. Implementing this tech can also lead to improved employee satisfaction and retention—key elements to maintaining operational efficiency.
6. Personalized Loyalty Programs and Guest Engagement
Personalization has become a cornerstone of loyalty programs, with restaurants moving towards tailored offers based on consumer behavior. Chains can target individual preferences by leveraging customer data, driving repeat visits and higher spending. Mobile apps and online ordering systems are making it easier for restaurants to track and respond to customer preferences.
Starbucks is a prime example, having revolutionized the customer experience with its highly personalized app that caters to quick, seamless transactions. In 2024, expect more full-service restaurants to introduce similar systems that remember past orders and offer personalized perks, enhancing the dining experience.
7. Development Challenges and Franchise Growth
Despite high construction and interest costs, franchising remains a strong driver of growth. Operators are minimizing buildout costs by downsizing restaurant footprints without compromising on sales volume. The trend towards smaller units with multiple guest queues, as seen with Church’s Chicken, allows restaurants to maintain high efficiency in less space.
AAA Food Handler offers training that helps restaurant operators navigate the complexities of development, ensuring food safety and operational efficiency are maintained throughout expansion.
Embracing Change with AAA Food Handler
In an industry where innovation and adaptability are paramount, AAA Food Handler offers essential food safety training and management guidance to help restaurant owners navigate new trends and regulations. With expertise in food handling and training, AAA Food Handler ensures that restaurants remain compliant, efficient, and ready for the future.
In 2024, the ability to adapt to these trends—through the adoption of new technologies, innovative menu offerings, and strategic development decisions—will be key to staying competitive in a challenging market.
FOOD
HANDLER
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FOOD MANAGER
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ALCOHOL TRAINING
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FOOD
HANDLER
Food Handler Reviews
4.9
Food contamination
Overall it was really helpful each module had good information about hygiene and food contamination I gained a lot of knowledge about it
Mayra Lopez
Overall it was really helpful each module had really good information I learned a lot about hygiene and about food contamination
Observaciones
Muchas gracias! Por sus concomitants, me seven mucho…
Is god have it in spanish
Thank you for heaving this curse in spanish, is more easy to understand in my mother tong, but overall it is a very intuitive, easy and comprensive curse!
No Title
No Title
Una puebra increible y de muy grande ayuda
Fue algo muy importante y de gran aprendizaje para mi, al aprender todo lo necesario para dar un buen servicio, sin duda estoy muy agradecido por la guia de estudio, esoy listo para dar un excelente servicio
IM SOO HAAPY
I AM VERY HAPPY TO HAVE LEARNED
muy buen curso
tome este curso para mi daycare y me gusto mucho.
No Title
No Title
Nadia ALVARENGA
Bad
Horrible
No funcionó bien 🙄🙄 además no es para trabajadores de Sanitazion además la aplicación es mala no se escucha los audios
na
na
na
na
Todo estuvo muy bien aprendí mucho
Todo estuvo muy bien aprendí mucho sobre la manipulación de alimentos
Great
Was super easy and fast to get done !
Great
Very fast and easy to get done!
Muy informativo
Excelente informacion
food handler
very important information, keep it always in mind while working in kitchen
stronge rules.
Food Handler Reviews
4.9
Food contamination
Overall it was really helpful each module had good information about hygiene and food contamination I gained a lot of knowledge about it
Mayra Lopez
Overall it was really helpful each module had really good information I learned a lot about hygiene and about food contamination
Observaciones
Muchas gracias! Por sus concomitants, me seven mucho…
Is god have it in spanish
Thank you for heaving this curse in spanish, is more easy to understand in my mother tong, but overall it is a very intuitive, easy and comprensive curse!
No Title
No Title
Una puebra increible y de muy grande ayuda
Fue algo muy importante y de gran aprendizaje para mi, al aprender todo lo necesario para dar un buen servicio, sin duda estoy muy agradecido por la guia de estudio, esoy listo para dar un excelente servicio
IM SOO HAAPY
I AM VERY HAPPY TO HAVE LEARNED
muy buen curso
tome este curso para mi daycare y me gusto mucho.
No Title
No Title
Nadia ALVARENGA
Bad
Horrible
No funcionó bien 🙄🙄 además no es para trabajadores de Sanitazion además la aplicación es mala no se escucha los audios
na
na
na
na
Todo estuvo muy bien aprendí mucho
Todo estuvo muy bien aprendí mucho sobre la manipulación de alimentos
Great
Was super easy and fast to get done !
Great
Very fast and easy to get done!
Muy informativo
Excelente informacion
food handler
very important information, keep it always in mind while working in kitchen
stronge rules.
Starting at $6.95
FOOD MANAGER
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Food Manager Reviews
4.9
great
I learned a lot
It was informative
It was informative.
Aprendi mucho gracias
Muy buena experiencia
"Quick" and easy
Was very easy to understand and well paced. Not overly stacked with useless dialogue but just enough to get you to understand what and why.
No Title
No Title
Great explanation
muy bien aprendisaje
aprendi mucho muchas gracias por este curso para mi fue genial
too long, redundant and time consuming
too long, redundant and time consuming
Safety First
I think that I have already had the basic needs and knowledges for managing the Food Handlers. The courses were not too short or too long. Easy to understand and easy to approach. Highly recommended.
me gusto
me enseno much as cosas nuevas
No Title
Super clear and concise- just wish we could rewind w/o having to watch the whole video again
No Title
IMFORMATIVE
HELPED IN WAY I CAN EXPLAIN
excelent
fue todo UN retro que al final logre
excelenet
todo estubo excelente El curso
It's easely to lern
It’s easely to lern
Manager
Gave me some good points to pass on my team and myself. Easy to follow and not to dragged out on the info.
Comprehensive course.
The course was not painful. It was appropriate in length and in content.
The poses of Maria were very entertaining
The training was pretty straight forward and understandable. The only issues I had were you can’t rewind the video, only restart the entire clip which means if you missed one detail you have to sit through the entire clip again for that one moment. Another issue I had was certain modules would have severe delay from the audio to video, and refreshing the page did not help the issue.
Food Manager Reviews
4.9
great
I learned a lot
It was informative
It was informative.
Aprendi mucho gracias
Muy buena experiencia
"Quick" and easy
Was very easy to understand and well paced. Not overly stacked with useless dialogue but just enough to get you to understand what and why.
No Title
No Title
Great explanation
muy bien aprendisaje
aprendi mucho muchas gracias por este curso para mi fue genial
too long, redundant and time consuming
too long, redundant and time consuming
Safety First
I think that I have already had the basic needs and knowledges for managing the Food Handlers. The courses were not too short or too long. Easy to understand and easy to approach. Highly recommended.
me gusto
me enseno much as cosas nuevas
No Title
Super clear and concise- just wish we could rewind w/o having to watch the whole video again
No Title
IMFORMATIVE
HELPED IN WAY I CAN EXPLAIN
excelent
fue todo UN retro que al final logre
excelenet
todo estubo excelente El curso
It's easely to lern
It’s easely to lern
Manager
Gave me some good points to pass on my team and myself. Easy to follow and not to dragged out on the info.
Comprehensive course.
The course was not painful. It was appropriate in length and in content.
The poses of Maria were very entertaining
The training was pretty straight forward and understandable. The only issues I had were you can’t rewind the video, only restart the entire clip which means if you missed one detail you have to sit through the entire clip again for that one moment. Another issue I had was certain modules would have severe delay from the audio to video, and refreshing the page did not help the issue.
Starting at $49.95
ALCOHOL TRAINING
Alcohol Training Reviews
4.8
very informative
I like that there are small test review between segments
NOT BAD BUT....
could be better. thank you for your help and support.
No Title
No Title
No Title
No Title
review
very informative
No Title
good
this ia a good training but its supper time consuming
Straightforward Education
Easy to follow and use for RBS certification.
Painless
Like the videos.
Great Alcohol Service Training
Checked all the boxes, was easy to follow and really helped me get up to date on everything I needed to know!
No Title
Extensive but clear and concise
No Title
The module videos were engaging.
No Title
No Title
food handler/ alcohol
i learned so many things and taking this curse was helpful in so many ways that can help you later on in your jobs or in life since it gives you good info
not bad
long
great course
The course was very interested! I highly recommend this course.
Informative Training
The course was straightforward and informative. I appreciated that the modules weren’t repetitive.
Alcohol Training Reviews
4.8
very informative
I like that there are small test review between segments
NOT BAD BUT....
could be better. thank you for your help and support.
No Title
No Title
No Title
No Title
review
very informative
No Title
good
this ia a good training but its supper time consuming
Straightforward Education
Easy to follow and use for RBS certification.
Painless
Like the videos.
Great Alcohol Service Training
Checked all the boxes, was easy to follow and really helped me get up to date on everything I needed to know!
No Title
Extensive but clear and concise
No Title
The module videos were engaging.
No Title
No Title
food handler/ alcohol
i learned so many things and taking this curse was helpful in so many ways that can help you later on in your jobs or in life since it gives you good info
not bad
long
great course
The course was very interested! I highly recommend this course.
Informative Training
The course was straightforward and informative. I appreciated that the modules weren’t repetitive.
Starting at $7.95
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