Independent Restaurants Show Remarkable Resilience and Strategic Problem Solving as Industry Navigates Continued Rising Costs, Shifting Consumer Behavior, and Rapid Technological Change
, /PRNewswire/ — The James Beard Foundation® (JBF), in collaboration with Deloitte, announced today the findings of its 2026 Independent Restaurant Industry Report, a comprehensive analysis of the independent restaurant industry, synthesizing insights from independent owners and chefs, to reveal the industry’s top challenges and opportunities. Drawing from interviews with leading chefs and a nationwide survey of hundreds of owners and operators across the nation, the report provides a wide-ranging view of the current state of the industry, emerging trends, and critical factors that restaurants can leverage to thrive in 2026.
“Independent restaurants are essential to our society, culture, and communities. They employ millions of people, generate billions in economic activity, and serve as vital gathering places for meaningful human connection,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. “The landscape has never been more complex, but chefs and operators are rising to meet it with incredible fortitude and creativity. The James Beard Foundation is deeply committed to supporting their success through this report, the JBF Institute, and our entire suite of impact programs and advocacy work.”
The findings paint a picture of an industry moving into 2026 with cautious optimism. Not because pressures have eased, but because independent operators have demonstrated remarkable endurance and adaptability in the face of cost pressures, shifting consumer behavior and expectations, workforce complexity, and rapid technological change. Despite these hurdles, most restaurateurs are implementing innovative strategies to meet current market demands, deepen guest connection, and ensure long-term sustainability.
The study identified four major trends that are helping reshape the industry landscape:
- Protecting Margins Amidst Volatility: Fluctuations in ingredient prices, combined with persistent cost pressures, is making margin management increasingly inflexible and reactive.
- Supporting the Workforce Beyond Wages: Labor pressures have largely shifted from mitigating shortages to navigating retention, cost management, and regulatory complexity.
- Navigating An Expanding Technology Ecosystem: A rapidly growing and increasingly costly technology ecosystem is resulting in more disciplined adoption and intentional investment.
- Managing the Consumer Expectation Gap: Converging and increasing consumer experience expectations seems to be widening the disconnect between guest assumptions and operational realities.
The research synthesizes insights from a survey of over 380 independent restaurant owners, chefs, and operators conducted September to November 2025, as well as interviews with 40 chefs. Participants represented a broad cross-section of the industry across 47 states and all four census regions, ranging from fine dining establishments to fast-casual venues, breweries, and caterers.
To read the full report click here. Highlights of key findings are below.
2026 STATE OF THE INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
Across survey and roundtable discussions, owners, chefs, and operators described a year marked by continued pressure—on costs, demand, and predictability—but also by profound adaptation. Familiar challenges took on new dimensions in 2025, feeling meaningfully different for many respondents. Inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions, and rapid shifts in technology converged to reportedly make planning and decision-making more complex. Consumer affordability concerns are reshaping the landscape, while food cost volatility made forecasting, menu planning, and pricing decisions increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, AI and an expanding restaurant technology sector added new complexity and competitive pressure.
Yet despite operating in this recalibrated reality, the 2026 findings reveal an independent restaurant industry marked by steadfast, cautious optimism and hard-earned determination. Fueled by creativity, persistence, and a deep commitment to their communities, they are shaping a future rooted in adaptability, one tactical decision at a time.
HIGHLIGHTS OF FINDINGS
2026 State of Business
- Rising general costs, rising labor costs, and finding staff to hire were the top business concerns among those surveyed and interviewed in 2025.
- Wage increases cooled in 2025, with 67% of respondents increasing wages less than 10%. In addition, 18% did not increase wages at all—more than twice the number from last year—reflecting a move towards tighter cost control.
- Despite significant pressures, nearly three quarters of respondents (73%) have a positive outlook for 2026, speaking to the determination and experience of independent restaurants to navigate the challenges ahead.
- In 2025, 62% of respondents reported excellent or good business performance—increasing YoY from both 2024 and 2023.
- Customer volume improved slightly from 2024, with two-thirds of respondents reporting the same or more customers in 2025.
THEME 1: Protecting Margins Amidst Volatility
- Rising costs remained the top issue for surveyed chefs in 2025. Sudden price fluctuations in key ingredients forced operators into near-constant adjustment, managing margins reactively while working to preserve quality, guest experience, and cultural identity.
- As such, price increases are no longer the reliable margin lever they once were, as many operators noted that they have reached a ceiling in what customers are willing or able to pay.
- Restaurants raising menu prices by more than 10% were most likely to report lower profits and expect fewer customers than those that raised prices modestly.
- The rise of non-alcoholic beverages was cited as the top consumer trend affecting restaurant operations, putting additional pressure on high-margin categories.
THEME 2: Supporting the Workforce Beyond Wages
- Labor concerns remained a top three issue among surveyed chefs. Nearly half of operators (49%) reported some level of staffing insufficiency, with finding qualified staff to hire as the leading factor influencing workforce operations.
- The share of surveyed operators raising wages by more than 10% fell sharply, from 71% in 2024 to just 15% in 2025—as providing bigger paychecks became financially unfeasible.
- Among operators facing staffing difficulties, high turnover and retention challenges emerged as the most significant factors reported.
- As margins tighten, operators increasingly view building internal culture as essential—through such things as cross-training and growth opportunities.
THEME 3: Navigating an Expanded Technology Ecosystem
- The technology landscape has expanded dramatically, with more tools, platforms, and decisions confronting operators already managing tight margins and limited capacity. Many report struggling to identify where to invest as providers add features, raise fees, and make switching costly—all while platforms increasingly control customer relationships.
- Restaurants with moderate, intentional adoption reported stronger business performance. Both low- and high-tech extremes were associated with weaker outcomes among respondents, reinforcing that more technology does not inherently drive better results.
- Reports of better business performance by respondents correlated more with operations-focused technologies like inventory management software than marketing-oriented tools like CRM systems.
- In addition, 40% of operators who reported implementing online ordering and delivery integration reported lower profits.
- Over 80% of those surveyed say they plan to increase their AI investments in the next year. Inventory and supply chain management, staffing and scheduling, and reservations and customer service were the top three potential AI implementations among respondents.
- However, 38% reported that AI tools currently feel irrelevant to their business, reflecting uncertainty about how to leverage these tools effectively.
THEME 4: Managing the Consumer Expectation Gap
- Independent restaurants report navigating a widening gap between rising guest expectations and what operators can realistically deliver—as social media and online platforms reshape how guests discover, engage with, and evaluate restaurants.
- After increasing food costs, social media marketing and in-person engagement were the top trends surveyed chefs predicted to affect restaurant operations in 2026.
- Some owners reported viral exposure negatively affecting performance when they were unable to scale quickly enough to meet demand and deliver consistent quality.
- Despite more transactional expectations, restaurants focused on community-driven dining reported stronger outcomes, with 45% indicating increased customer volume compared to 36% for those not citing community influence.
“As independent restaurants face ongoing cost fluctuations, tighter labor dynamics, and rapidly shifting guest expectations, the operators across the industry are responding with disciplined, practical problem solving,” said Evert Gruyaert, US Restaurants & Food Service leader and principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “The report suggests that many restaurants are protecting margins through their decisions—supporting teams beyond wages, making intentional technology and AI investments where they improve operations, and deepening guest connection through community-driven dining. Deloitte is proud to collaborate with the James Beard Foundation to help share these insights with independent restaurants as they navigate 2026.”
The annual industry report is part of the James Beard Foundation Institute (JBF Institute), a central hub for training, programs, and resources to support the success of independent chefs and operators. From business resiliency, leadership, and management skills to advocacy training towards policy change, the JBF Institute is the definitive educational resource for the independent restaurant industry and leaders in the broader food system.
ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATON
The James Beard Foundation® (JBF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to leading chefs and the broader culinary industry toward a new standard of excellence. Our guiding principle, Good Food for Good®, informs our vision of a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable independent restaurant industry that stands as a cornerstone of American culture, community, and economy, and drives toward a better food system. For 40 years, JBF has been instrumental in recognizing, amplifying, educating, and training the individuals who shape American food culture. Today, our mission comes to life through the prestigious James Beard Awards, industry and community-focused programming, advocacy and policy initiatives, and culinary events and partnerships nationwide—including at Platform by JBF® and the James Beard House in New York City. Learn more at jamesbeard.org, sign up for our emails, and follow @beardfoundation on social media.
As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.
SOURCE James Beard Foundation
