What's Next for Restaurants?

Kara standing next to a large ketchup bottle

Hot Topics from the Restaurant Leadership Conference 2025

The A-Team headed southwest to attend the Restaurant Leadership Conference (RLC), hosted by Informa Connect in Phoenix, and join industry leaders from across the country. RLC served up a powerful blend of inspiration, innovation, and actionable insights and was time well-spent with industry experts, old friends and new connections.

At Asher, we boast decades of deep partnerships with restaurants and franchises, so we were excited to share our expertise while also learning about new trends. The sessions did not disappoint! Here are the juicy takeaways from RLC that we couldn’t wait to share and put into practice.

Economic Blues

Future proofing with Value

The looming economic uncertainty coupled with tariff challenges were a focus at RLC. Jason Schenker, from The Futurist Institute, reminded everyone that “the trend is your friend” and this year, those trends are driven by AI, ecommerce, and economic volatility.

Ecommerce
Ecommerce reached $308.9B in Q4 2024 – an all-time high in the U.S.
QSR Brands
QSR brands are being hit harder by economic uncertainty than most other segments of the restaurant industry.
Innovation
Innovation could be key to bracing for potential economic decline anticipated in late 2025 – many brands are engaging tools that help them work smarter, not harder.
Human Connection
Even as ecommerce and technological advances with AI scale, human connection remains essential.
Value
Value is key right now for customers – brands need to be clear about their value and message that to guests.

At the end of the day, brands really need to showcase their value to stay top-of-mind with customers in a competitive restaurant landscape.

Menus that work harder

Menus aren’t just about what’s trending, they’re about making those trends make sense for your brand. Whether it’s swicy (sweet + spicy) flavor combos or unique LTOs, creative culinary mashups are proving to drive sales and engagement:

Teaming up: An unexpected tequila pairing from Popeyes and Don Julio sparked a 3% sales lift according to their vp of culinary innovation, featuring items like a tequila glaze and tequila-lime slaw. Thinking outside your normal menu box could be a real hit.

Pickle everything: From pickle glaze to pickle lemonade, acidic, briny flavors continue to show up in fun, surprising ways.

Hand-breaded hits: Applebee’s hand-breaded sandwiches reflect that menu innovations are about technique as much as they are flavor trends.

Underground menus: App-exclusive items are creating buzz. Think “secret menu” vibes that reward loyal customers and present opportunities for social media fun.

Swicy spotlight: Hot honey isn’t going away anytime soon. The sweet and spicy trend is still around, and brands are looking for ways to make it their own.

Jump on trends but personalize them so they’re on-brand with your menu. Authenticity matters more than being first and the best dishes connect brands to what’s hot, without losing who they are.

45%

of guests are cutting back

The “Phygital” Future & Affordable Joy

According to the latest Tillster report, guests are visiting chains less often due to price sensitivity: 45% say they’re cutting back. So how can brands win them back? It’s about delivering what Tillster called “affordable joy”. Think value-driven menus, seamless digital experiences, and loyalty programs that actually reward.

Loyalty Insights

Experience
When evaluating the value of their dining experience consumers say the important factors are price (59%), quality and freshness of food (56%), and order accuracy (33%).
Spending
Consumers are spending 38% more at grocery stores for takeaway food so QSR competition is growing even outside of the restaurant industry and standard players.
Rewards
49% of customers expect a reward every 3–5 orders so making them work too hard for reward points is not driving loyalty at all.

While phygital (physical + digital) might be an up-and-coming buzzword, it’s grounded in a real truth: digital touch points should solve real problems for your guests and not replace the human touch and experience needed for brand loyalty.

Guests will forgive a bad experience once but not twice. Get the customer experience right – in both the physical and digital spaces of your brand – and tie it to real value.

Kara and Molly outdoors at the RLC conference

Final Nuggets

RLC 2025 reminded us that success in this industry requires equal parts hustle, heart, and humanity. The brands that rise are the ones that embrace change, lead with clarity, and keep value at the center of how they serve their customers.

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What’s Next for Restaurants?

Hot Topics from the Restaurant Leadership Conference 2025

Future proofing with Value

Ecommerce

QSR Brands

Innovation

Human Connection

Value

Menus that work harder

The “Phygital” Future & Affordable Joy

Loyalty Insights

Experience

Spending

Rewards

Final Nuggets

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