Human-centric tech is key to the future of restaurants

The National Restaurant Association released its annual 2024 State of the Industry report, and unsurprisingly, technology is one of the top concerns both for consumers and operators. In fact, according to the report, more than three-quarters of operators believe that technology gives them a competitive edge. But they still believe they have a long way to go, as only 13% of operators said that their restaurant technology is leading-edge. To remedy this gap in technology investment, 60% of operators said they plan to invest in consumer-facing technology in 2024, while just over half plan to invest in kitchen-facing technologies.