Modern Restaurant Management

12/23/2025

In what's become an annual tradition here at MRM, we quizzed restaurant experts that learn what issues they expect to affect the industry in the coming year. Here's a link to all three parts.

Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine asked restaurant industry experts for their views on what trends and challenges owners and operators can

12/18/2025

"When a restaurant hosts recurring gatherings tied to specific online groups, you unlock one of the most efficient, recurring forms of revenue."

Read more in our second article on The Fourth Place.

In the first article of our Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine series on The Fourth Place, industry experts defined the concept and how

12/16/2025

To convert passersby into customers, operators must rethink how they engage with drivers before they’re even in their car and en route.

Driving data can provide QSR operators with a roadmap on transforming traffic into intentional visits, according to a white paper from Arity, which

12/12/2025

Guests are moving toward a more emotionally driven, expressive relationship with brands, expecting food experiences that make them feel seen, empowered, and connected.

Being "very cool" is the single most important factor driving momentum for QSR brands, outranking even craveable food, according to Yum! Brands and

12/11/2025

Here's the first article in an MRM series on The Fourth Place.

https://modernrestaurantmanagement.com/why-the-fourth-place-should-be-top-of-mind-for-all-restaurants/

12/10/2025

"While tech can streamline operations, improve efficiency, and aid in managing customer expectations, it can also feel like it is stripping away the human connection that makes dining out memorable. The challenge for the restaurant industry is to find a balance: using technology to enhance the experience, without losing the personal touch that consumers crave. " Read more in this MRM Exclusive from The Harris Poll.

The restaurant industry is at a turning point, caught between the promises and the worries surrounding new technology. On one side, AI and automation are

12/09/2025

"Hospitality is undergoing a cultural reset and is at a pivotal moment,” said Sarah Jenkinson, Creative Director at Harrison. Read more about what brands should be doing to future-proof their businesses.

Worldwide hospitality is undergoing a transformation driven by shifting consumer values, sustainability expectations, cultural storytelling, and

12/08/2025

Brands should lean into behavior-based rewards because they incentivize the actions that actually grow the business, such as frequency, off-peak visits, trial and referrals, as opposed to just another discounted transaction.

QSRs can leverage the seasonal traffic surge to move past deal fatigue and retain guests into the new year by adopting personalized, behavior-based

12/03/2025

AI agents are turning fast food ordering into a delegated, data-driven experience and brands that adapt quickly by building trust signals and frictionless pathways for AI interactions will be the ones that succeed in this next phase of digital commerce.

QSRs are becoming test cases for agentic commerce, as AI agents flood their websites and reshape the entire customer journey from how orders are placed

12/02/2025

"Today nostalgia has expanded beyond a creative concept. It has become a reliable signal of how dining behavior shifts during uncertain moments."

“Recession Pop” is back in rotation.Retail brands are re-releasing nostalgic favorites, fashion trends from the late 2000s are creeping back into

11/26/2025

“The best practice for restaurateurs is to educate consumers on where the food comes from, how its grown, processed and the shipped all the way from original source to the restaurant."

The recent Executive Order modifying tariffs on a number food and agricultural products could potentially bring relief to restaurant operators struggling

11/19/2025

"Being present in that fourth place, the mindspace, is critical now and will become more so as more digitally native people age up."

Consumers are increasingly viewing convenience stores as go-to destinations for quick meals, a trend that is blurring the lines with QSRs, according to