For foodservice leaders like Brittany Mercer – the marketing director at Cowboy Chicken – real-time guest intelligence has become non-negotiable.
“Operators want instant awareness of what’s working, what’s slipping, and what guests are telling us in the moment,” Mercer stated recently. “Feedback must become a living, breathing loop – not a survey that’s filed away.”
Mercer’s sentiments illustrated a key theme of the 2026 Paytronix Trends & Predictions report, which explored the movements that appear destined to drive guest engagement.
The report envisions a new year featuring the rise of automation tools. And that’s understandable, at a juncture in which margins and labor costs are tightening, applying pressure to business leaders.
The consumerization of AI, along with technological advances in hardware, are making automation as accessible as ever, noted Tim Ridgely, VP of engineering for Paytronix, a guest-engagement platform.
“We’re talking about running powerful AI models on compact, affordable devices, without massive infrastructure or sky-high budgets,” Ridgely said. “This convergence of lightweight automation and intelligent data interpretation isn’t just a tech trend; it’s also a lifeline for small operators.”
Like many in the industry, Paytronix expects consumers to increasingly focus on value in the new year. As a result, it’ll be incumbent upon the foodservice sector to use messaging that creates the perception of value.
“That doesn’t just mean a coupon or a value meal; Are you messaging correctly, where the customer feels like they’re getting a deal?” Andrea Neurohr, VP of marketing at Coen, noted in the report.
Paytronix’s predictions for 2026 also included sentiments such as the following:
- Gamefied, mobile experiences will be in high demand from Gen Z and Millennials
- Cross-brand loyalty partnerships will boost engagement
- Restaurants and C-store subscription models will become common
- Ominchannel experiences will become a must-have
- Texture-focused dining experiences will gain popularity
- AI will increasingly drive personalized offers
At the outset of 2026, there remains untapped potential for using AI to improve business efficiency.
“There’s a lot of discussion around guest-facing AI, but we’re seeing meaningful gains on the Restaurant Support Team side,” noted Mark Foulds, VP marketing for Walk On’s Sports Bistreaux.
“Areas like content creation, analytics, forecasting, and operational insights are driving real efficiency (and) scalability,” he added.
Food for Thought Leadership
It’s undeniable that restaurants were challenged heavily in 2025, but what does that mean for 2026? Foodservice industry veteran John Inwright discusses the prospects for a new year, what’s working for successful operators, and the headwinds and tailwinds that could define the year.
