Top hospitality technology trends to watch in 2025

The restaurant industry is no stranger to innovation. Over the past decade, we’ve seen technology transform everything from how diners make reservations to how kitchens operate behind the scenes. In 2025, the pace of change is only accelerating, driven by evolving customer expectations and the demand for seamless, personalised experiences.

To stay competitive restaurants must embrace technology that enhances efficiency, engages customers, and creates experiences that grows repeat business. Here are the top hospitality technology trends that will dominate the industry in 2025 and how solutions like our experience management solution, XMS, can help businesses stay ahead.

AI and Automation

AI has quickly become an indispensable tool across many industries. Hospitality businesses have a lot to gain from integrating AI into their operations.

AI can help venues significantly improve their offerings, internal processes and ultimately its customer experience. Imagine a restaurant where menus adapt to individual tastes, dietary preferences are automatically accounted for, and loyalty rewards are designed to suit each customer. Expect to see an increase in venues using an AI-chatbot, assisting with bookings or recommending menu items. Through data analysis, AI algorithms can generate detailed reports, track the success of marketing campaigns, and provide insights to optimise pricing strategies, ultimately driving revenue growth.

In the US, 71.6% of operators plan to adopt AI solutions with many already utilising the technology such as Wendy’s, who has implemented an AI chatbot “FreshAI” for their drive-thru experience. Brands in the UK such as McDonald’s and Pizza Hut are amongst those already adopting AI across its operations.

Beyond these applications, AI can also play a crucial role in other areas, such as refining the guest experience and even helping operators make strategic business decisions. Rather than relying solely on historical data for decision-making, AI enables operators to analyse past trends and forecast future scenarios. Helping restaurateurs to make proactive choices, such as optimising staffing levels and managing inventory more effectively.

Data, data, data

Despite AI’s power, none of its benefits can be harnessed without data. When consumers visit restaurants, they want it to be worth it and to create an experience.

This is why customer service is so important, with customers unlikely to revisit places where they’ve had a so-so experience. It’s all about creating world-class customer experience, and one of the most effective ways of understanding how to achieve this is through data.

Data plays a pivotal role in helping hospitality businesses devise strategies to expand their customer relations and offerings. Whether it's using kiosks to showcase specific menu items or employing email marketing to share exclusive offers, using data you can target different customer segments effectively and ensure you create experiences that keep them coming back time and time again.

Our experience management system, XMS, easily allows operators to gather and utilise data to enhance customer experiences.

Enhanced Digital Booking Systems

Thirdly, digital booking systems are growing in popularity. These have come a long way from their early days as simple reservation tools, with almost half of all restaurant reservations (48%) being made online it’s clear diners enjoy the convenience of the technology.

Looking ahead, these systems will continue to evolve, with the help of AI, into comprehensive experience management platforms. Expect to see advanced features like pre-ordering, customisable table preferences, and deeper integration with loyalty programmes, all designed to personalise the guest journey.

Digital booking systems will become even more intuitive, with AI-driven recommendations, real-time table availability updates, and personalisation based on guest behaviour. For customers, this means faster, more convenient bookings, reduced wait times, and interactions that feel more like tailored services than transactional reservations.

Today’s hospitality sector has access to a wide range of technology solutions designed to improve efficiency, save time and costs, and grow business by enhancing customer experiences. Staying informed of the latest industry and technology trends is key to ensuring that your business keeps innovating – driving your business forward in a way that appeals to today’s digital-savvy customers.

If you’d like to hear more about our range of tech solutions, or find out more about three rocks® experience management solution, XMS, get in touch.