SpotOn Unveils 2026 Restaurant Outlook Focused on Profit, Not Hype

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Dec 10, 2025, 08:44 ET

Customer-first roadmap highlights value-driven menus, first-party guest data, practical AI, and new payment models to protect margins in a tougher market

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SpotOn, a leading software and payments partner for restaurants, today released its 2026 Independent Restaurant Profit Outlook, offering an operator-first roadmap for an industry squeezed by rising costs and unpredictable traffic. SpotOn's restaurant operations outlook for 2026 starts with the reality that operators live every day: food, labor, and rent are high, guests are value-sensitive, and teams are stretched thin. By focusing on what restaurants can control right now—simpler operations, stronger first-party relationships, and operator-first technology—SpotOn helps operators make every menu and workflow choice more profitable.

At the counter, this operator uses SpotOn to walk guests through clear, honest choices-bundles, portions, and add-ons that feel like value and still hit food-cost targets. With item-level reporting and promo tracking, they can quickly double down on what sells and cut what doesn't, rebuilding the menu around trust, contribution, and repeat traffic in 2026.

Behind the bar, SpotOn helps lean teams do more with every minute. Orders, tabs, and modifiers live in one place so bartenders move quickly without mistakes, while managers see real-time data on labor, sales, and menu mix. By standardizing workflows instead of just cutting hours, this operator turns saved seconds into stronger margins and better shifts.

"Restaurant operators need partners willing to feel the squeeze with them and point to the next best move," said Bryan Solar, Chief Product Officer at SpotOn. "These 2026 predictions are designed as a working playbook: where to focus the team, what to test, how tech can help and how to prove it's worth the effort."

Value returns to the menu — and still makes money
Guests are feeling the squeeze of rising costs and persistent shrinkflation fatigue. In 2026, a profit-first menu strategy makes value feel obvious and fair while still protecting profit margin, creating meaningful contribution margin lift. SpotOn gives operators clear data on value-driven menus, which items actually make money, so they can design honest menu bundles, right-size portion tiers, and price with confidence. When operators offer transparent pricing and ensure the math adds up, they build guest trust. That trust drives more traffic, and in turn lifts average check and loyalty without constant discounting.

The "own the guest" battle escalates — and operator-owned data is paramount
Consolidation in reservations and ordering marketplaces has rapidly accelerated tightening access to a restaurant's guest data, pushing restaurants to "rent" demand. The operators who win are those who own the guest relationship end-to-end — lowering customer acquisition costs and driving more first-party ordering growth and repeat visits. That's why SpotOn empowers a first-party-first approach including tools for reservations, online ordering, loyalty, and SMS; all live natively inside the restaurant's operating system and with first-party restaurant data. Marketplaces still have a role in capturing demand, but operators shouldn't have to give up their guest data control or their dollars to participate. Guest profile ownership is no longer optional; when restaurants control the profile, they control the relationship and the profit.

AI works into the background — and quietly lifts margins
AI is everywhere, but operators don't need another dashboard. They need practical AI for restaurants, real restaurant AI workflow automation that spots issues early and lines up next-best-action recommendations. SpotOn's embedded AI for restaurants powers AI-driven operations and predictive restaurant analytics inside the tools teams already use, so intelligence shows up in the flow of work—suggesting smarter schedules, flagging anomalies in sales, labor, and COGS, pre-reconciling payouts, and surfacing actionable insights during service. It's quiet AI, not shiny AI. The result: fewer misses, faster decisions, better margins.

Labor gets leaner and pricier — time is the new margin
With labor tightening and replacement costs rising, every wasted minute becomes lost margin. Most restaurants can't cut deeper on the floor or keep raising prices, so operational efficiency in restaurants has to carry more weight. SpotOn helps standardize restaurant workflows, smooth peaks, and protect managers' time with labor scheduling assistance, order throttling and KDS optimization, and exception-driven alerts. Simpler beats thinner: when busywork is automated and managers can focus on guests and teams, both profit and morale get a boost.

Payments move to faster funds and programmable value
Near real-time restaurant payments and wallet/loyalty hybrids are reshaping how restaurants move money. This shift promises faster funds, easier reconciliation, and more chances to turn checkout into loyalty—while lowering the total cost of acceptance. SpotOn focuses on outcomes, supporting trusted rapid payout today and adopting new methods only when they prove their value in speed, net cost, fraud reduction, and loyalty lift. Payments should work for operators. Routing around unnecessary cost and getting paid faster keeps more dollars inside the four walls, where they are needed most.

Beverage mix resets around low/no-proof and daypart drinks
Alcohol continues to soften, while the industry sees a surge in no-proof and low-proof beverage growth. Dirty sodas, refreshers, and functional drinks are creating new occasions across all dayparts, and in some markets THC beverages are becoming curious categories. For operators, menu diversification beyond alcohol is a portfolio shift, not a passing trend. SpotOn's first-party ordering and analytics help restaurants treat beverages as a balanced portfolio instead of a single bet on alcohol. Guests get more choice; operators get more ways to protect check averages and adjust quickly based on data, not guesswork.

"SpotOn was built to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with restaurants," said Kevin Bryla, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Customer Experience at SpotOn. "We believe in a future where restaurants own their guest relationships, keep their data, and turn rising costs into opportunities to run smarter, more profitable businesses. These predictions are meant to be a shared playbook to get there together—protect today's profit, build tomorrow's, and keep control where it belongs: with the people running their restaurant."

SpotOn's 2026 Independent Restaurant Profit Outlook is available here.

About SpotOn
SpotOn is one of the leading software and payment companies, providing the technology and support that helps local businesses—and the people who run them—to succeed on their own terms. Known for its flexible, cloud-based technology and personalized support, SpotOn offers an end-to-end platform to accept payments, boost revenue, streamline operations, and create exceptional guest experiences. From seamless and efficient point-of-sale systems to integrated restaurant management solutions, SpotOn builds technology that "works the way you work" and backs it up with a 24/7 team of experts that make sure it always does—with fairness, flexibility, and a personal touch. For more information, visit www.spoton.com.

Media Contact:
Megan Palmer, SpotOn
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410-262-7349
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SOURCE SpotOn