National Restaurant Association President and CEO Michelle Korsmo told operators at the association’s annual show that future-ready restaurants—eateries that merge empowered teams with smart technology—continue to outpace competitors.
Young Workers Demand Growth
Sixty percent of restaurant employees are younger than 35, according to the association’s 2025 State of the Restaurant Industry report. They seek mentors, flexible schedules, and clear career paths, Korsmo said. She urged owners to position jobs as purposeful careers rather than stop-gap work.
Programs such as ProStart give high-school students paid kitchen experience and business coaching. “We celebrate the nearly 16 million people who fuel our industry,” Korsmo said. “Recruit them, train them, and show them how far they can climb.”
Future-Ready Restaurants Prioritize Training
Operators that outpace rivals embed structured, ongoing training into daily routines. Line cooks rotate through prep, sauté, and expo stations, learning menu costs while mastering technique. Servers shadow seasoned colleagues who model upselling and conflict resolution. Managers review performance metrics with staff weekly and set goals together.
Korsmo called that approach “future-proofing” because it builds adaptable teams. “Competition for talent is fierce,” she warned. “Choose to inspire workers so they choose you.”
Technology Boosts Efficiency and Morale
Rising labor and food costs squeeze margins; software helps restaurants fight back. Eighty-three percent of operators report a competitive edge from tech adoption, and two out of five credit digital tools for higher guest satisfaction, Korsmo noted.
Future-ready restaurants integrate inventory platforms that flag low stock in real time and automatically reorder. Scheduling apps analyze sales trends, forecast covers, and recommend optimal staffing, reducing overtime. Self-ordering kiosks and handheld POS units shave minutes off transactions, freeing employees to greet guests and upsell desserts.
“Gone are the days of balancing checkbooks once a month,” Korsmo said. “We need granular, daily insight to protect profits.”
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Streamlined Supply Chains Protect Profits
Innovative purchasing systems generate bulk-buy alerts, consolidate vendor lists, and calculate plate costs instantly. Operators then re-engineer dishes or tweak portions before waste erodes margins. Predictive analytics also anticipate produce price spikes, allowing chefs to substitute seasonal items without compromising flavor.
Korsmo urged owners to share such data with frontline teams. “When cooks understand food costs and hosts see labor dollars in real time, everyone pulls together,” she said.
Consumer Demand Stays Robust
Despite inflation, American diners still view meals out as affordable indulgences. The association projects that 2025 sales will reach $1.5 trillion across quick-service, full-service, catering, and delivery segments. Consistency and reliability keep guests returning, Korsmo said, so future-ready restaurants obsess over the basics: warm welcomes, sparkling restrooms, and flawless orders.
Advocacy Strengthens the Industry
Korsmo closed by urging operators to engage lawmakers on tip-credit preservation, reasonable scheduling rules, and workforce development grants. “No one tells our story better than you,” she said. “Your voice shapes the policies that decide whether future-ready restaurants flourish.”
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association represents over a million restaurant and food-service outlets and 15.7 million workers.