{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"128078","rtpr_id":"nBw4zLCwZa","ticker":"TOST","exchange":"NYSE","all_tickers":["TOST"],"title":"The 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey: How U.S. Restaurants are Handling Inflation, Labor, AI, and Revenue Growth","author":"Business Wire","published_at":"2026-08-26T12:00:00.160Z","article_body":"The 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey: How U.S. Restaurants are\nHandling Inflation, Labor, AI, and Revenue Growth\n\nToast (NYSE: TOST) released its 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey.\nEach year, Toast polls hundreds of restaurant operators to get a pulse check\non the industry. How are restaurants faring in 2026? What are the biggest pain\npoints? Where do they see opportunity, and how has that changed since last\nyear?\n\nWhat was clear from our 2026 survey from April 3, 2026, to April 20, 2026, of\n676 restaurant operators and decision-makers is that restaurants are durable,\nand they’re doubling down on being busy and effective to achieve their\nbusiness goals.(1)\n\nAnd the data backs it up: 91% of operators rate their business as good or\nexcellent — matching last year's high mark — with growth and efficiency\ntopping their list of priorities.\n\nRead the full 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey on the Data by\nToast website\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpos.toasttab.com%2Fblog%2Fdata%2Fvoice-of-the-restaurant-industry-2026&esheet=54594668&newsitemid=20260826816298&lan=en-US&anchor=Data+by+Toast+website&index=1&md5=fa04959f2ae1a2ae60703ef4b93a6ee7)\n.\n\nKey takeaways from the 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey:\n\n\n * Restaurants are durable: 91% of operators rate their business health as good\nor excellent, unchanged from 2025.\n\n * Inflation (27%) and hiring (22%) are the top two challenges, and both rose\nmore than any other pain point year over year (+7 and +6 points).\n\n * Profitability is the #1 goal (37%), and operators are increasingly pursuing it\nby serving guests in new ways and staying busy, not by cutting.\n\n * AI is now mainstream: 87% of operators feel comfortable using AI, and nearly 9\nin 10 are experimenting with it.\n\n * Growth is the plan: bringing in more guests is the top revenue focus.\n\nWhat's the state of the restaurant industry in 2026?\n\nDespite rising inflation and hiring difficulties, 91% of operators polled said\ntheir business is good or excellent, holding steady with last year's strong\nshowing even as external pressures mounted. That confidence runs deep: more\nthan 8 in 10 operators feel neutral to extremely comfortable with the current\nmacro climate.\n\nRestaurant operators are increasingly looking at more disciplined inventory to\nkeep costs down, while fewer are looking to raise menu prices compared to last\nyear. Still, 43% of restaurant operators said they will increase menu prices\nif the cost of goods increases in the next 12 months, but that’s down five\npoints compared to last year.\n\nThe bottom line\n\nThe story so far in 2026 is that restaurants are operating with familiar\nchallenges, but they’re leaning into the hard work with a growth mindset.\nOperators are navigating cost and labor pressures, and are protecting their\nprofitability through efficiency, optimized menus, keeping their teams happy\nand intact, experimenting with AI, and betting on guest demand.\n\nThe challenges at play are familiar for restaurants, and their instinct to\nturn them into momentum is also something we’ve seen from this durable\nindustry.\n\nRead the full 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey on the Data by\nToast website\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpos.toasttab.com%2Fblog%2Fdata%2Fvoice-of-the-restaurant-industry-2026&esheet=54594668&newsitemid=20260826816298&lan=en-US&anchor=Data+by+Toast+website&index=2&md5=26471ce547e0f1f88073d0bf1b7bd154)\n.\n\n(1)2026 Survey Methodology\n\nTo help better understand the restaurant industry, Toast conducted a blind\nsurvey of 676 restaurant decision-makers operating 16 or fewer locations in\nthe United States, including both Toast and non-Toast customers, from April 3,\n2026, to April 20, 2026. Respondents include a mix of both full-service and\nquick-service restaurants. Respondents were not made aware that Toast was\nfielding the study. Panel providers granted incentives to restaurant\nrespondents for participation. Using a standard margin of error calculation,\nat a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error of +/- 4%.\n\nAbout Toast\n\nToast [NYSE: TOST] is a global technology platform built for restaurant and\nretail businesses. From the busiest local restaurants and shops to large\nhospitality brands, Toast helps owners and operators manage their businesses\nmore efficiently, drive guest demand, and build lasting success.\n\nToast integrates software, agentic AI, payments, financial technology\nsolutions, and hardware with a broad partner ecosystem. Powering billions of\npurchases throughout local commerce, Toast delivers the precision and\ninnovation required for modern restaurant and retail environments. For more\ninformation, visit www.toasttab.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.toasttab.com&esheet=54594668&newsitemid=20260826816298&lan=en-US&anchor=www.toasttab.com&index=3&md5=d9abb8c741cde4d7571e232d4611ed76)\n.\n\nTOST-CORP\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826816298/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826816298/en/)\n\nMedia: media@toasttab.com \n(mailto:media@toasttab.com) \nInvestors: IR@toasttab.com (mailto:IR@toasttab.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nBw4zLCwZa","title":"The 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey: How U.S. Restaurants are Handling Inflation, Labor, AI, and Revenue Growth","author":"Business Wire","ticker":"TOST","created":"2026-08-26T12:00:00.160Z","tickers":["TOST"],"exchange":"NYSE","article_body":"The 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey: How U.S. Restaurants are\nHandling Inflation, Labor, AI, and Revenue Growth\n\nToast (NYSE: TOST) released its 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey.\nEach year, Toast polls hundreds of restaurant operators to get a pulse check\non the industry. How are restaurants faring in 2026? What are the biggest pain\npoints? Where do they see opportunity, and how has that changed since last\nyear?\n\nWhat was clear from our 2026 survey from April 3, 2026, to April 20, 2026, of\n676 restaurant operators and decision-makers is that restaurants are durable,\nand they’re doubling down on being busy and effective to achieve their\nbusiness goals.(1)\n\nAnd the data backs it up: 91% of operators rate their business as good or\nexcellent — matching last year's high mark — with growth and efficiency\ntopping their list of priorities.\n\nRead the full 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey on the Data by\nToast website\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpos.toasttab.com%2Fblog%2Fdata%2Fvoice-of-the-restaurant-industry-2026&esheet=54594668&newsitemid=20260826816298&lan=en-US&anchor=Data+by+Toast+website&index=1&md5=fa04959f2ae1a2ae60703ef4b93a6ee7)\n.\n\nKey takeaways from the 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey:\n\n\n * Restaurants are durable: 91% of operators rate their business health as good\nor excellent, unchanged from 2025.\n\n * Inflation (27%) and hiring (22%) are the top two challenges, and both rose\nmore than any other pain point year over year (+7 and +6 points).\n\n * Profitability is the #1 goal (37%), and operators are increasingly pursuing it\nby serving guests in new ways and staying busy, not by cutting.\n\n * AI is now mainstream: 87% of operators feel comfortable using AI, and nearly 9\nin 10 are experimenting with it.\n\n * Growth is the plan: bringing in more guests is the top revenue focus.\n\nWhat's the state of the restaurant industry in 2026?\n\nDespite rising inflation and hiring difficulties, 91% of operators polled said\ntheir business is good or excellent, holding steady with last year's strong\nshowing even as external pressures mounted. That confidence runs deep: more\nthan 8 in 10 operators feel neutral to extremely comfortable with the current\nmacro climate.\n\nRestaurant operators are increasingly looking at more disciplined inventory to\nkeep costs down, while fewer are looking to raise menu prices compared to last\nyear. Still, 43% of restaurant operators said they will increase menu prices\nif the cost of goods increases in the next 12 months, but that’s down five\npoints compared to last year.\n\nThe bottom line\n\nThe story so far in 2026 is that restaurants are operating with familiar\nchallenges, but they’re leaning into the hard work with a growth mindset.\nOperators are navigating cost and labor pressures, and are protecting their\nprofitability through efficiency, optimized menus, keeping their teams happy\nand intact, experimenting with AI, and betting on guest demand.\n\nThe challenges at play are familiar for restaurants, and their instinct to\nturn them into momentum is also something we’ve seen from this durable\nindustry.\n\nRead the full 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey on the Data by\nToast website\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpos.toasttab.com%2Fblog%2Fdata%2Fvoice-of-the-restaurant-industry-2026&esheet=54594668&newsitemid=20260826816298&lan=en-US&anchor=Data+by+Toast+website&index=2&md5=26471ce547e0f1f88073d0bf1b7bd154)\n.\n\n(1)2026 Survey Methodology\n\nTo help better understand the restaurant industry, Toast conducted a blind\nsurvey of 676 restaurant decision-makers operating 16 or fewer locations in\nthe United States, including both Toast and non-Toast customers, from April 3,\n2026, to April 20, 2026. Respondents include a mix of both full-service and\nquick-service restaurants. Respondents were not made aware that Toast was\nfielding the study. Panel providers granted incentives to restaurant\nrespondents for participation. Using a standard margin of error calculation,\nat a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error of +/- 4%.\n\nAbout Toast\n\nToast [NYSE: TOST] is a global technology platform built for restaurant and\nretail businesses. From the busiest local restaurants and shops to large\nhospitality brands, Toast helps owners and operators manage their businesses\nmore efficiently, drive guest demand, and build lasting success.\n\nToast integrates software, agentic AI, payments, financial technology\nsolutions, and hardware with a broad partner ecosystem. Powering billions of\npurchases throughout local commerce, Toast delivers the precision and\ninnovation required for modern restaurant and retail environments. For more\ninformation, visit www.toasttab.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.toasttab.com&esheet=54594668&newsitemid=20260826816298&lan=en-US&anchor=www.toasttab.com&index=3&md5=d9abb8c741cde4d7571e232d4611ed76)\n.\n\nTOST-CORP\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826816298/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826816298/en/)\n\nMedia: media@toasttab.com \n(mailto:media@toasttab.com) \nInvestors: IR@toasttab.com (mailto:IR@toasttab.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-08-26T12:00:00.224290691Z","server_sent_at_ms":1787745600224},"received_at":"2026-08-26T12:00:00.353Z","source_url":"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826816298/en/"},"analysis":{"id":"116997","press_release_id":"128078","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Software","sector":"Information Technology"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"operations_update","narrative":"Toast released its 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey based on input from 676 operators, revealing that 91% rate their business health as good or excellent despite macro headwinds.\n\nInflation (27%) and hiring (22%) remain the primary challenges, but 87% of operators now report comfort using AI, with profitability being the top goal.\n\nOperators are increasingly focused on driving growth and operational efficiency rather than raising menu prices to sustain their businesses.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Industry survey confirms restaurant resilience and mainstream AI adoption trends."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"survey_participants":676,"top_challenge_hiring":"22%","top_challenge_inflation":"27%","ai_comfortable_operators":"87%","operator_business_health_good_excellent":"91%"}},"quotedText":"","namedEntities":{"people":[],"products":["Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey"],"companies":[{"name":"Toast","ticker":"TOST"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":1,"reasoning":"Routine publication of a proprietary industry survey with qualitative market sentiment data. No specific financial results, guidance changes, or material corporate updates disclosed."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"TOST"},"globalImportance":15,"audienceRelevance":40,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"mid_cap","eventGravity":"marketing_survey"}},"event_type":"operations_update","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"bullish","material_impact_score":1,"narrative":"Toast released its 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey based on input from 676 operators, revealing that 91% rate their business health as good or excellent despite macro headwinds.\n\nInflation (27%) and hiring (22%) remain the primary challenges, but 87% of operators now report comfort using AI, with profitability being the top goal.\n\nOperators are increasingly focused on driving growth and operational efficiency rather than raising menu prices to sustain their businesses.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"survey_participants":676,"top_challenge_hiring":"22%","top_challenge_inflation":"27%","ai_comfortable_operators":"87%","operator_business_health_good_excellent":"91%"}},"named_entities":{"people":[],"products":["Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey"],"companies":[{"name":"Toast","ticker":"TOST"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-4.7","prompt_hash":"sha256:727b4b9429a443af","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-08-26T12:26:24.250Z","global_importance":15,"audience_relevance":40,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"mid_cap","eventGravity":"marketing_survey"}},"durationMs":390248,"modelName":"glm-4.7"}}