Satisfaction with digital ordering has declined, according to Technomic data. | Photo: Shutterstock
A recent report from the National Restaurant Association contains a contradiction: Most restaurants (60%) say they plan to invest in customer-facing technology this year, but less than half (41%) of consumers say technology improves their dining experience.
In other words, as restaurants are pushing for more technology, and particularly AI, some consumers appear to be pushing back.
It’s an issue the industry has been navigating pretty much forever. On one hand, restaurants are a people business, rooted in service and hospitality. But they also need to adapt with the times, manage rising costs and appeal to customers who are increasingly tech-savvy and convenience-driven.
These two paths aren’t mutually exclusive. Tech and hospitality can coexist. Innovations that at first seem radical eventually become standard.
But there’s a sense that the balance may be getting a bit out of whack these days.
Robert Byrne, head of consumer research for restaurant data firm Technomic, is among those who have noticed a disconnect.
“Restaurant leaders are certainly faced with many issues for which tech seems to be tailor-made to solve, and specifically, we could talk about labor, because that’s a major issue,” Byrne said. “But you don’t have to ask two or three of your friends before you find some really good, super annoying stories about how consumer-facing tech in a restaurant has turned them off a brand.”
He’s not wrong. Just this past weekend, I had a conversation with a friend who had a bad experience with an AI drive-thru bot. And the evidence is more than anecdotal. Technomic’s research shows that as restaurants add more technology, customer satisfaction with it has waned.
Digital ordering is a good example because it’s been around for a while. In 2018, 52% of consumers reported having an “excellent” experience with digital ordering, compared to 53% who ordered from an employee in the restaurant, according to Technomic surveys of more than 72,000 consumers.
But over the years, sentiments have shifted: In 2025, just 50% were happy with their digital ordering experience, while 54% gave their in-person transaction top marks.
Commentary gathered by Technomic shows that some consumers remain wary of digital ordering methods like kiosks and AI drive-thru assistants, even as they spread to more restaurants.
“I wish an actual person had been there to take my order vs. just a kiosk machine,” one person said of their recent visit to Shake Shack.
Byrne said that many consumers still expect some point of human connection in a restaurant, even in fast-food places that are built around speed and convenience.
This can be true even for Gen Zers, who are often thought of as digital natives who will avoid face-to-face interaction at all costs. Restaurants have done a lot to cater to this audience as it enters adulthood. But there are signs that Gen Z stereotypes (if they were ever true) are changing.
I wrote last month about how interest in analog activities like knitting is surging as consumers look for an escape from screens. Another emerging trend on that front is “friction-maxxing,” a term coined by Kathryn Jezer-Morton, a columnist for The Cut. Examples of friction-maxxing include turning off location-sharing on your phone, cooking dinner instead of having it delivered, or inviting friends over without cleaning the house first. The idea is to embrace the messiness that makes us human rather than erasing it with tech.
It’s right in line with a growing demand for flip-phones among younger consumers and even a renewed interest in paying with cash.
“People are foregoing things like digital experiences and the most convenient or obvious path to go get something and encouraging the long road, the more laborious route, because of the satisfaction that you get from actually putting in the work,” Byrne said.
When it comes to choosing a restaurant, consumers seem to be looking for a mix of both physical and digital elements. According to Technomic, a loyalty program is now a potential dealbreaker for 59% of consumers, a 10.5% increase since 2022. And 58% now see mobile ordering or kiosk ordering as a positive attribute.
But there’s also been a noticeable increase in the number of consumers looking for a good soundtrack in the restaurant—and this is limited-service we’re talking about! Nearly half of consumers (49%) now say an appropriate music selection could sway their dining decision, a 9-point jump from 2022.
And the No. 1 deciding factor by far is the menu itself: “New and exciting products” are a priority for 70% of prospective customers.
All that is to say that restaurants should not scrap their technology altogether, because many customers do find value in it. But they need to allow customers to determine the type of experience they want to have, Byrne said.
“It’s not that consumers don’t want you to have that technology available, because each occasion that I have to interact with the restaurant is going to look and feel different every single time,” he said. “It’s the expectation of funneling everybody into that specific experience” that can be frustrating for customers.
Some of the most successful restaurant brands in recent memory are consciously striking this balance.
First Watch, for instance, has undergone a major tech overhaul since 2020, adding online ordering and a mobile app, upgrading its waitlist system and giving customers the option to pay at the table with their phone. But it still allows customers to do things the old-fashioned way if they want.
“We never want to force it on you,” said Matt Eisenacher, chief brand officer for First Watch, in an interview. “Especially within breakfast, we want you to see that server with a big smile, a pot of coffee, and a really comfortable environment.”
In 2025, the breakfast-and-lunch chain reported positive same-store sales and traffic and was No. 4 on Yelp’s list of most-loved brands.
Meanwhile, some brands that have invested heavily in technology have not fared as well lately. Wingstop, for instance, which focuses primarily on online ordering and takeout, reported negative same-store sales last year for the first time in 22 years. Sweetgreen, another high-tech fast casual, has also struggled.
Starbucks, meanwhile, is focusing its turnaround efforts on the in-store experience after years of pushing its mobile app and loyalty program. So far, investments in things like comfy chairs and writing customers’ names on cups seem to be paying off.
“In my mind, one of those massive differentiators between who is growing and how they’re courting it has nothing to do with technology,” Byrne said. “I don’t know how big of a pause button I need to hit, but please stop and take into account the fact that tech still is far from the most important thing to consumers when they’re choosing a restaurant.”
