Rewriting the restaurant rulebook: key trends for hospitality businesses in 2026

2025 hasn’t exactly rolled out the red carpet for the hospitality industry. Costs are up, the Budget has confirmed that taxes and wages are rising and labour shortages are putting pressure on operators. Even with the busy festive season approaching, venues will still be doing all they can to get people through the doors to just break even. Tactics like promotions and loyalty schemes may have kept the lights on this year, but 2026 calls for something bigger. Put simply, for a hospitality business to survive, it won’t be able to rely on quick fixes anymore. Instead, a longer-term strategy is needed.

The ingredients of a successful strategy aren’t surprising: AI, personalised experiences and designing that experience to how people want to dine out now and in the future are some of the most important aspects. While some venues have been dabbling with these already, in 2026, they will turn from nice-to-haves to non-negotiables for the entire industry.

The same challenges hospitality faced this year will continue to stick around, but that doesn’t mean that 2026 is destined for doom and gloom. Operators will have a chance to ride the wave of the trends shaping the sector and reap their rewards.

Time to get personal

In the first half of 2025, UK restaurants increased promotions by 23%, while 35% of diners hunted for coupons and discounts¹ like it was a competitive sport. With people cutting back on their overall spending, restaurant promotions and discount incentives are no longer an afterthought but a key revenue and footfall driver. This won’t change in the months ahead - diners will still want deals, but they will have to be tailored and not generic. For example, personal incentives like a free birthday drink with a meal or prix fixe menus with popular items will remain an important strategy into the new year to encourage repeat spending.

But it’s not just money off that makes people dine out - the public wants to feel as though hospitality is listening to its changing eating habits. Research has shown that 32% of Brits report skipping desserts and 40% have ordered off the kid’s menu², decisions likely part driven by the continued growth of the weight management trend. With an estimated 1.5 million Brits using weight loss drugs, restaurants could increasingly be required to offer a ‘weight-loss friendly menu’ for those who want smaller, healthier options. In 2026, the classic towering plate of comfort food will need a leaner, health-conscious sibling on the menu to appeal to differing diets and eating styles.

Don’t see AI as just a buzzword

AI may have hogged headlines this year, but embracing tech is anything but gimmicky. In the current landscape, AI is a crucial tool for busy restaurateurs, helping them automate everything from taking orders to demand forecasting. Thankfully, AI is becoming more adopted in the hospitality industry, with 74% of operators stating that they now use it³ to manage tasks like bookings or business analytics.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Simplifying the day-to-day running of a venue with tech helps operators focus on what matters most - providing the best possible experience to their guests. Using an integrated tech platform that allows for payments, reservations, ordering, loyalty tools and more to live under one roof means there’s no need for operators to check multiple systems and waste valuable time that could be spent on customers. For guests, this means that their experience is smooth from the moment they choose to dine at your venue to the moment they leave, making them more likely to come back.

Lightspeed’s AI-powered Benchmarks & Trends is one example of where things are heading. It gives restaurant owners a deeper understanding of their own performance and how they measure up against local competitors - something that used to take valuable hours away from serving guests and on poring over spreadsheets instead. With these insights, operators can help boost revenue, streamline operations, and gain a competitive upper hand in a crowded dining landscape at a time when it matters more than ever.

Cater to your changing customer

Dining out is one of life’s greatest pleasures, allowing us to celebrate and commiserate with the people closest to us. It’s therefore no surprise that group dining is on the rise, with an increase of 13% for parties of six or more from January 1 to September 30, 2024 compared to the same months in 2023. Even though inflation continues to affect spending habits, people still want to treat themselves to meals out - and that instinct isn’t disappearing soon.

But new motivations for dining out are emerging too. With remote, flexible working becoming normalised, many people are taking advantage of ‘workations’ and ‘bleisure’ - holiday unwinding with online meetings and mixing business travel with sightseeing. As the lines between office hours and holiday modes blur, hotels offering flexible check-in/out and long-stay perks for those who want time to soak up the sights while still getting work done could win over the ‘workation’ crowd.

There’s also the solo diner to consider. Nearly a quarter (24%) of people now eat out alone because they’re travelling for work⁴, so restaurants in tourist hot spots or near hotels have a unique opportunity to make the most of this demographic. For example, setting up prix fixe menus can entice people to sit down to a working lunch instead of grabbing a takeaway or offering casual workspaces can drive people to stay in restaurants longer.

2026 isn’t a year to be slow and steady. Hospitality has weathered a tough season which will continue, but there’s plenty of opportunity for operators that focus on evolving how they use tech and personalisation to drive success.