Food Service Management Study Reveals Critical 'Aspiration-Readiness Gap' in Delivering Preference-Driven Dining Experiences

Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of hospitality software solutions and services, today released the findings of its 2025 Foodservice Management Industry Impact Study: Balancing Operational Excellence with Experience Innovation.

This survey of 412 foodservice executives and F&B technology decision-makers across four sectors -- healthcare, higher education, active adult communities and full-service restaurants -- unveils critical insights into “readiness to deliver” dining experiences aligned with consumer preferences and reveals significant operational and technology challenges that make doing so difficult.

The revenue potential of offering preference-driven dining rests on serving consumers’ expectations for personalized, seamless interactions across dining experiences – whether choosing a table-service restaurant, using self-service kiosks for orders and payments or taking advantage of ‘anytime, anywhere’ dining using mobile ordering and delivery services. Research shows that when consumers have preference-based dining choices they spend up to 50% more per transaction. While 68% of foodservice executives want to deliver preference-driven dining options, 50% say they need to upgrade their technology to do so and 60% cite budget or resource constraints as barriers to adopting modern technology.

Foodservice providers can elevate revenue and deepen customer loyalty by delivering seamless ‘service my way’ dining experiences across all channels. However, modern technology equipped to deliver preference-driven dining experiences, whether through mobile apps, self-service kiosks, or omnichannel point-of-sale (POS) systems, is not yet pervasive. Organizations that invest in technology to bridge the gap between desire and readiness will strengthen lifetime loyalty and elevate revenue by serving customers on their terms. Those that do not are likely to forego substantial revenue and diminish loyalty. Terrie O’Hanlon, Senior Vice President at Agilysys

Key research findings include:

• Critical “Aspiration-Readiness Gap”: While 68% of foodservice executives want to deliver preference-driven dining experiences, 50% feel they need technology infrastructure upgrades to do so.
• Technology Transformation Considerations: To enable preference-driven dining, 49% of executives would consider switching POS providers and 40% are ready to do so.
• Sector-Specific Priorities: Experience-focused sectors (restaurants and higher education) prioritize personalization as a competitive advantage, while necessity-focused sectors (healthcare and active adult communities) emphasize operational efficiency and cost management.
• Operational Excellence Focus: 60% of leaders prioritize increasing operational efficiency and profitability over the next two years, with 76% focused on improving day-to-day operations and inventory management.
• Implementation Concerns: 65% of foodservice leaders have delayed changing technology platforms due to concerns about implementation difficulty, while 61% cite upfront costs as a key barrier.

The 2025 Foodservice Management Industry Impact Study highlights the advantages of expanding traditional operational priorities to include Preference-Driven Dining Excellence – a customer-centric approach that balances operational efficiency with the ability to deliver personalized experiences. This framework equips foodservice providers to address customer preferences while also improving day-to-day operations and increasing revenue.

The study offers a framework for foodservice executives to bridge the readiness gap, optimize both operational efficiency and customer experiences, and stay competitive as consumer preferences evolve.

To access the full report, please visit: https://info.agilysys.com/agilysysfsmimpactstudy