Restaurant marketing statistics 2026
Updated August 2026 · every statistic verified against its primary source
86 statistics on how guests discover, choose, and return to restaurants — each traced to a named primary source, linked inline, with sample sizes and field dates where published. Data older than 2024 is flagged. Widely cited numbers we could not verify are in the corrections section, not the body.
At a glance: 12 copy-paste-ready stats
One line each, source attached — take them verbatim. Every stat links to its section below for context and methodology.
- of U.S. consumers read online reviews when evaluating a local business. BrightLocal · Local Consumer Review Survey · 2026 · #
- of consumers now use AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode) to discover local businesses — up from just 6% one year earlier. BrightLocal · 2026 · #
- of U.S. guests tried a new restaurant in the past month in 2025 — up from 39% in 2024. Toast · 2026 · #
- of Gen Z discover restaurants on TikTok — its #1 discovery channel, beating even word of mouth. Toast · 2026 · #
- of a restaurant's guests can drive up to 50% of its order volume. Toast + Resy · The Regulars Report · 2026 · #
- the return rate: moving a guest into a loyalty program shifts their return rate from a 7% baseline to nearly 30%. Toast · Toast Loyalty data · Q1 2026 · #
- of restaurant reservation phone calls go unanswered — while 64% of diners still call to book. SevenRooms · 2026 · #
- of consumers say a dine-in visit later led them to order delivery from the same restaurant. DoorDash × SevenRooms · 2026 · #
- of consumers are opted in to receive texts from at least one business. SimpleTexting · 2026 · #
- of consumers will only use a business rated four stars or higher. BrightLocal · 2026 · #
- forecast for U.S. restaurant and foodservice sales in 2026. National Restaurant Association · 2026 · #
- of restaurant operators are increasing marketing activity across digital channels this year. Popmenu · 2026 · #
Cite these statistics. Everything on this page is traced to a primary source, linked inline. If you use a stat, please credit the original researcher — and you're welcome to link this page as the compilation.
Last verified · re-checked quarterly · full citation formats at the bottom of the page
Social media & restaurant discovery
Primary source: a Toast blind survey of roughly 1,466 U.S. adults, fielded October 9–15, 2025 and published July 30, 2026. (Toast's own methodology note prints the sample as both 1,466 and 1,446 — the discrepancy is theirs; we note it rather than pick one.)
- 64% of guests said they tried a new restaurant in the past month in 2025 — a 25-point jump from 39% in 2024. Toast · 2026
- The average guest ordered from 3.3 different restaurants in the past month, up from 3.1 in 2024. Toast · 2026
- Word of mouth remains the top restaurant discovery channel at 38%; simply walking or driving past a location is second at 30%. Toast · 2026
- Facebook is the top social discovery channel for restaurants at 27%, ahead of Instagram (15%), YouTube (15%), and TikTok (14%). Toast · 2026
- TikTok is the #1 discovery channel for Gen Z at 38% — surpassing every other channel including word of mouth; its influence drops off sharply for Gen X and Boomers. Toast · 2026
- Map apps and TV ads each drive 18% of restaurant discovery; search engine results drive 16%. Toast · 2026
- Urban diners lean on social media to discover restaurants; suburban diners lean on word of mouth and physical visibility. Toast · 2026
- What converts discovery into a first visit: price/value (55%), food quality (51%), menu variety (43%), and location/convenience (43%). Toast · 2026
- 87% of consumers choose menu items based on appealing photos or videos. SevenRooms · Restaurant Industry Trends Report U.S. · 2026
- Caveat 73% of restaurateurs use Facebook to promote their business. TouchBistro · 2026 State of Restaurants Report — self-published survey figure; the full report is gated.
Google Business Profile, local search & AI discovery
- 85% of consumers use Google and other search engines to find restaurants. Popmenu · consumer survey, 1,000 U.S. consumers · Feb 2026
- Google is still the #1 platform for reading local business reviews at 71% — but that's down from 83% in 2025. BrightLocal · Local Consumer Review Survey · 2026
- AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode and peers) are now the third most-used channel for local business discovery at 45%, up from 6% in the 2025 survey. BrightLocal · 2026
- Apple Maps usage for local business research nearly doubled year over year, from 14% to 27%. BrightLocal · 2026
- The average consumer consults six different sources when choosing a local business. BrightLocal · 2026
- 20% of consumers use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to find restaurants specifically. Popmenu · 2026
- 22% of consumers have used an AI tool to help choose a restaurant, and restaurant listing platforms account for more than 41% of the sources AI tools cite when recommending restaurants. DoorDash · 2026 Restaurant Industry Trends Report
- 78% of restaurant operators are making their websites friendlier to all search tools, including AI. Popmenu · operator survey, 328 U.S. operators · Jan 2026
- Dated · 2019 The average restaurant Google listing received 6,386 views on Search and 5,439 on Maps per month, driving 127 calls, 173 website clicks, and 98 direction requests. BrightLocal · Google My Business Insights Study · 2019, data Sept 2017–Dec 2018 — this is the newest primary GBP benchmark dataset that exists publicly — every “current” GBP stat you see elsewhere traces back to it.
Reviews & reputation
Primary source: BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (1,002 U.S. adults via SurveyMonkey, published February 11, 2026). Caveat, once for the whole section: the survey covers local businesses generally, not restaurants only.
- 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses; 41% “always” read them when browsing. BrightLocal · 2026
- 92% of consumers care about star ratings; 68% will only use a business rated 4+ stars, and 31% demand 4.5+. BrightLocal · 2026
- 47% of consumers won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews. BrightLocal · 2026
- 74% want reviews written within the last three months; 44% prioritize the last month; 18% only trust the last week. BrightLocal · 2026
- 89% of consumers expect owners to respond to reviews, and 19% now expect a same-day response (up from 6% in 2025). BrightLocal · 2026
- 80% are more likely to use a business that responds to all its reviews; 50% are put off by generic copy-paste replies. BrightLocal · 2026
- 85% of consumers are more likely to use a business after reading positive reviews; 77% are deterred by negative ones. BrightLocal · 2026
- 82% of consumers read AI-generated review summaries; 42% trust AI-generated summaries as much as traditional reviews. BrightLocal · 2026
- 69% of consumers wrote at least one review in the past 12 months — and 83% of those asked to leave a review went on to do so. (Ask for the review.) BrightLocal · 2026
- Restaurant operators' most common local-presence action is updating menus (39%), followed by managing reviews (34%) and improving photos (32%). DoorDash · 2026
- 32% of regulars say feeling recognized by staff is a main reason they return; when regulars leave, 31% cite declining food quality, 22% price increases, 15% a drop in service. Toast + Resy · The Regulars Report · 2026
Online ordering & delivery
- 81% of U.S. independent operators saw takeout/delivery sales increase versus 2024 — by an average of 33%. TouchBistro · 2026 American State of Restaurants Report · fielded Oct 2025
- 79% of delivery orders come from restaurants the customer has ordered from before, and 80% of dine-in visits are at restaurants already tried. DoorDash · 2026
- 73% of consumers stick with the same app for delivery. DoorDash · 2026
- 55% of first-time orders on DoorDash came from consumers who were browsing — not searching for a specific restaurant. DoorDash · 2026
- 74% of consumers say a dine-in visit later led them to order delivery from the same restaurant; 62% say a delivery order later led them to dine in. DoorDash × SevenRooms · 2026
- 86% of consumers say dine-in is their channel of choice for special occasions. DoorDash · 2026
- Reaching 50% menu-photo coverage lifts a restaurant's DoorDash sales by 13% on average. SevenRooms · platform data with DoorDash · 2026
- 64% of consumers would prefer one app to manage delivery, pickup, and reservations. DoorDash × SevenRooms · 2026
- 59% of consumers actively seek out allergen and dietary information before ordering. DoorDash · 2026
Reservations & the guest journey
- 64% of diners still pick up the phone to book a reservation — and 40% of restaurant reservation calls go unanswered. SevenRooms · Restaurant Industry Trends Report U.S. · 2026
- 74% of diners are open to AI handling their reservation — but only 28% of operators use AI to manage calls and customer service. DoorDash × SevenRooms · 2026
- 60% of diners say the menu influences which restaurant they book on a reservation app. SevenRooms · 2026
- Regulars book 83% of their visits in advance; for non-regulars, 52% of visits are walk-ins. Resy · platform data Jan 2023–Dec 2025 · The Regulars Report · 2026
- Resy Regulars dine at their regular spots 52% more often — averaging 8.30 reservations at 1.45 restaurants over three years vs 5.45 visits across 2.4 restaurants for non-regulars. Resy · 2026
- 62% of reservation visits are booked through digital channels — but regulars are ~3x as likely to book directly with the restaurant (20% vs 7%). Resy · 2026
- More than half of regulars' reservations are parties of two. Resy · 2026
- Americans plan to dine out 10 times per month on average in 2026; Millennials plan 14. OpenTable · 2026 Dining Trends · WALR survey of 1,527 U.S. respondents · Sept 2025
- Early “happy hour” dining (4:00–4:59 pm) is up 13% year over year; experiential dining is up 46%; group dining is up 11%. OpenTable · 2026
- 44% of Americans plan to use AI more to discover restaurants and book reservations in 2026. OpenTable · 2026
Email & SMS marketing
- In Q1 2026, 86% of orders originating from restaurant email marketing and 83% from SMS came from guests who had already dined at the restaurant — versus search engines, where 83% of users are one-and-done. Email and SMS are retention channels; search is an acquisition channel. Toast · Toast Marketing platform data · The Regulars Report · 2026
- Average email campaign benchmarks across 183,000+ brands: 31% open rate, 1.69% click rate, 0.16% placed-order rate. Klaviyo · 2026 email benchmarks · Feb 2026
- Caveat Food & Beverage brands on Klaviyo average a 31.2% campaign open rate, 1.7% click rate, and 0.26% placed-order rate. Klaviyo · 2026 — Klaviyo's F&B vertical means food ecommerce brands, not restaurants.
- Automated email flows generated nearly 41% of email revenue from just 5.3% of sends; flow placed-order rates (2.11%) run ~13x campaign rates (0.16%). Klaviyo · 2026
- 85.6% of consumers are opted in to texts from businesses — up from 61.8% in 2021. SimpleTexting · 2026 SMS marketing report · surveyed Jan 2026
- 74% of consumers check their text notifications within five minutes; 23% within one minute. SimpleTexting · 2026
- 75.3% of businesses use SMS marketing (up from 66% in 2025), and 65.4% plan to increase their texting budgets. SimpleTexting · 2026
- Two-thirds of businesses (66.2%) report an average SMS click-through rate of 20% or higher. SimpleTexting · 2026
- 76% of businesses agree text message marketing is an effective way to drive revenue; 71% say AI has improved their SMS results. SimpleTexting · 2026
An honest gap: no credible restaurant-specific email open-rate benchmark from a 2024+ primary source exists — the numbers floating around trace to secondary roundups. The benchmarks below are the closest primary data; each is labeled with exactly what it covers.
Loyalty, regulars & retention
Primary source: Toast + Resy, The Regulars Report 2026 (published July 30, 2026) — Toast platform cohort data from Q1 2026, Resy platform data 2023–2025, plus an April 2026 Toast survey of 1,500 U.S. adults who dine out twice or more a month.
- Up to 50% of a restaurant's order volume can come from just 7% of its guests. Toast · Q1 2026 platform data
- Joining a loyalty program shifts a guest's return rate from a 7% baseline to nearly 30% — roughly 4x. Toast · Toast Loyalty · Q1 2026
- Loyalty members retain at roughly 2x the rate of new customers and 1.5x the general guest base. Toast · Q1 2026
- 62% of diners maintain a mental shortlist of two or three “home base” restaurants; 37% visit their favorite weekly and 40% multiple times per week. Toast · survey · 2026
- 34% of regulars spend more per check simply because they're more comfortable ordering; they're 80% more likely to try a new menu item. Toast · survey · 2026
- 77% of diners tip more at restaurants where they're regulars — 46% add 5–10%, 37% add 10–15%+ on top of standard gratuity. Toast · survey · 2026
- Being remembered by staff is what makes guests feel most valued (48%) — more than double a points-based reward (22%). Yet only 30% say they always get that recognition. Toast · survey · 2026
- Cashback rewards drive the highest 90-day retention (24–26%) at casual restaurants; in fine dining, item-based rewards (a comped appetizer or dessert) beat cashback 20% vs 13%. Toast · Toast Loyalty cohort data · Q1 2026
- 87% of consumers say a credit, discount, or perk influenced them to reorder; 66% order more often from restaurants where they actively use a loyalty program. DoorDash · 2026
- 65% of consumers say a restaurant remembering their preferences would directly affect how often they choose it; 63% say a personalized recommendation or follow-up prompted a return visit in the past six months. DoorDash · 2026
Marketing spend & operator benchmarks
- Marketing software is the #1 technology investment priority for U.S. independent restaurants over the next six months (30%), ahead of reservation systems (28%) and staff scheduling (26%). TouchBistro · 2026 American State of Restaurants Report
- 81% of restaurant operators are increasing marketing activity across digital channels this year. Popmenu · 328 U.S. operators · Jan 2026
- 55% of operators are using AI to write marketing content; 44% have adopted AI somewhere in the restaurant, and another 25% plan to this year. Popmenu · 2026
- 87% of U.S. independent operators now use AI in some form, and 85% feel positive about AI in restaurants. TouchBistro · 2026
- 74% of operators plan to spend more on technology in the next six months. TouchBistro · 2026
- 42% of operators said their restaurants were not profitable in 2025, and 60% reported softer traffic. National Restaurant Association · 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry
- 60% of operators say their restaurants are in the technology mainstream; only 1 in 10 consider themselves at the forefront. National Restaurant Association · 2026
- 68% of operators raised menu prices in the past year (up from 47% in 2024), and 71% plan to raise them again. TouchBistro · 2026 · also reported by Popmenu, 2026
- 66% of independent operators carry debt — down from 78% in 2024. TouchBistro · 2026
You may notice a missing number: the ubiquitous “restaurants should spend 3–6% of revenue on marketing” has no traceable primary source — see the corrections section below. We'd rather note its absence than repeat it.
Industry size & consumer spending (US + Canada)
- U.S. restaurant and foodservice sales are forecast to reach $1.55 trillion in 2026, with real (inflation-adjusted) growth of 1.3%. National Restaurant Association · 2026
- The industry is forecast to add 100,000+ jobs in 2026, reaching 15.8 million. National Restaurant Association · 2026
- 9 in 10 U.S. restaurants have fewer than 50 employees; 7 in 10 are single-unit operations. National Restaurant Association · industry statistics
- More than 7 in 10 consumers say they'd use restaurants more often if they had more disposable income; 61% consider restaurants essential to their lifestyle. National Restaurant Association · 2026
- 68% of U.S. consumers say they're cutting back on restaurant dining this year; average weekly restaurant spend fell from $115 (June 2025) to $90 (Feb 2026). Popmenu · 2026
- 55% of Americans nonetheless say they'll spend even more on restaurants next year; 61% say dining out in 2026 will feel more like a special occasion. OpenTable · 2026
- Canada's foodservice sector is a $124-billion industry; 2025 nominal growth came in at 5.4%, with 2026 revised down to 2.3%. Restaurants Canada · Nov 2025
- 74% of Canadians reduced discretionary spending this year — and the #1 cutback was dining out (56%), followed by takeout/delivery (50%). Restaurants Canada · Angus Reid survey cited by Restaurants Canada · 2025
- Commercial foodservice sales in Canada rose 6.9% in the first seven months of 2025. Restaurants Canada · 2025
Stats we checked and could not verify
Each of the claims below circulates widely — several appear on pages ranking for this exact query. During compilation we attempted to trace every one to a live primary source and could not. We list them here, with what we found, so they can be cited correctly or retired.
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“90% of guests research a restaurant online before dining — more than any other business type.”
What we found Universally attributed to “Upserve.” Upserve was absorbed into Lightspeed and the original study page no longer exists. No methodology, no date, no live source.
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“Restaurants should spend 3–6% of revenue on marketing.”
What we found Appears in hundreds of roundups with no study behind it — we could find no survey or dataset that has ever been published for this figure.
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“Customers are 70% more likely to visit a business with a complete Google Business Profile.”
What we found Attributed to Google — but Google's current Business Profile page (checked 2026-08-09) contains no such statistic. It traces to a years-old Google/Ipsos marketing claim whose methodology was never published.
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“36% of TikTok users have visited or ordered from a restaurant after seeing a TikTok video.”
What we found A real survey — MGH — but fielded in 2020, and still presented as current in 2026 roundups. Six years stale in a platform landscape that has completely changed. Current primary data: Toast (2026) puts TikTok at 14% of overall discovery and 38% for Gen Z.
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“A one-star increase on Yelp lifts revenue 5–9%.”
What we found A real academic finding (Luca, Harvard Business School) — but the underlying data is from 2003–2009 Seattle restaurants, and it is routinely garbled in circulation (one ranking page cites a “half-star = 27% sales” version to HuffPost). If you use it, cite the working paper directly with its data-period label.
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“93% of people view menus online before dining out.”
What we found Traces to an OpenTable claim from around 2013; no live primary source exists. OpenTable's current research contains no such figure.
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The 2019 Google Business Profile numbers dressed as current.
What we found “The average business gets 1,009 searches per month on Google” appears in 2026-dated roundups with no year label — it is BrightLocal's 2017–2018 dataset. We cite that study too (above), but with the date on it.
Methodology
Compiled . Every statistic on this page was verified against a primary source fetched on that date — the original survey, platform dataset, or official release, not a secondary roundup. Each stat carries the source name, publication year, and a link; sample sizes and field dates are shown where the source publishes them. Statistics that could not be traced to a live primary source were excluded from the body and listed in the corrections section above. Data older than 2024 appears only with a visible “Dated” flag. Some sources block automated fetchers; those were verified in a real browser session. We re-verify quarterly; the date stamp at the top is the last full pass.
| Source | What it is | Year |
|---|---|---|
| BrightLocal — Local Consumer Review Survey | 1,002 U.S. adults, SurveyMonkey, pub. Feb 11, 2026 | 2026 |
| National Restaurant Association — 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry | Annual industry report, released Feb 2026 | 2026 |
| National Restaurant Association — national statistics | Industry structure stats | current |
| Toast — How Guests Discover New Restaurants | Blind survey of ~1,466 U.S. adults, Oct 2025, pub. Jul 30, 2026 | 2026 |
| Toast + Resy — The Regulars Report | Platform cohort data Q1 2026 + Resy 2023–2025 + Apr 2026 survey of 1,500 | 2026 |
| OpenTable — 2026 Dining Trends | WALR survey of 1,527 U.S. respondents, Sept 2025 + platform data Jan–Aug 2025 | 2025/2026 |
| SevenRooms — Restaurant Industry Trends Report U.S. 2026 | 3,000 consumers + 500 operators + platform data Oct 2025–Mar 2026 | 2026 |
| DoorDash — 2026 Restaurant Industry Trends Report | Dynata survey, Mar 2026: 3,001 consumers, 509 operators (joint with SevenRooms) | 2026 |
| Popmenu — 2026 restaurant trends | 328 operators (Jan 2026) + 1,000 consumers (Feb 2026) | 2026 |
| TouchBistro — 2026 American State of Restaurants | 600+ operators, Maru/Matchbox, fielded Oct 2025 | 2026 |
| Restaurants Canada — revised 2025/26 forecast | Pub. Nov 14, 2025; incl. Angus Reid consumer survey | 2025 |
| SimpleTexting — SMS Marketing Statistics 2026 | 1,000 consumers + 400 businesses, surveyed Jan 2026 | 2026 |
| Klaviyo — 2026 Email Benchmarks | 183,000+ brands, pub. Feb 24, 2026 | 2026 |
| BrightLocal — Google My Business Insights Study | Pub. Jul 2019, data 2017–2018 — dated; used with a visible flag only | 2019 |
Cite this page
This compilation is free to cite with attribution — for articles, coursework, and research. Please credit the original researcher for any individual stat (linked on every line) and link this page as the compilation.
Firefly CMO. (2026). Restaurant Marketing Statistics 2026. fireflycmo.com. https://fireflycmo.com/restaurant-marketing-statistics/ <a href="https://fireflycmo.com/restaurant-marketing-statistics/">Restaurant Marketing Statistics 2026 (Firefly CMO)</a> Last verified · re-checked quarterly. Journalist on deadline? Email [email protected] for the underlying source list or a custom chart.
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