Table of contents
What’s inside the report?
Running a bar or restaurant in 2026 is a lot, with new pressures and opportunities everywhere. The operators thriving right now are leaning on the right tools to do the heavy lifting, freeing them up to make smarter calls and carve out real space to build a business that lasts.
Now Serving: Technology is a new research report from Square and Pre Shift, a trade platform for the hospitality industry from the teams at Eater and Punch. Between February and March 2026, we surveyed 192 restaurant and bar owners across the U.S. and talked to the innovators behind Ramen by Ra, NFA Burger, Brown Bag Sandwich Co., Thunderbolt, and Bon Vivants Hospitality to hear what’s actually working right now in the industry.
[Technology is] developing and creating more space to actually work on the business instead of inside the business.”
Gilli Rozynek → Co-founder of Brown Bag Sandwich Co.
The full report covers:
- The top challenges operators are managing and the strategies they’re using to navigate them.
- The ideal restaurant and bar tech stack in 2026, from essential tools to emerging AI use cases.
- How restaurant leadership is changing as operators shift from day-to-day work toward more strategic, growth-focused roles.
- Where restaurant tech is delivering today, and where operators say they still need more support.
What does the research reveal?
A few themes stand out across the businesses we surveyed:
- Costs remain a central focus. Operators are balancing food costs, labor, rent, utilities, and marketing all at once. Technology is helping many of them stay agile and make confident decisions as conditions shift.
- Guest experience still leads every decision. Hospitality is a non-negotiable, and operators are clear that efficiency can’t come at the expense of service. Used well, tech helps restaurant owners protect both.
- Revenue diversification is expanding what’s possible. Catering, events, and takeout are becoming meaningful sources of revenue for operators, not side projects. Adding an additional revenue stream opens up new paths for growth — and new operational complexity to manage.
- The restaurant operator role is evolving. More owners are using technology to spend less time reacting and more time leading their teams, refining their business concepts, and planning for what’s next.
Download the report for the full 2026 data, real operator insights, and a clearer view of what’s next for the restaurant and bar industry.
