While we know from experiences in the past several years, the economy and its effects on the hospitality industry can be unpredictable. That said, there are patterns worth researching and analyzing to set expectations for the coming year. It pays to be prepared.
Eleni Gates recently shared 2026 predictions with Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) readers, and it is comforting to see positive predictions for the year ahead. “The intersection of hospitality, leadership, and strategic communications is evolving at breakneck speed,” Gates writes. With the right approach, “This will be a defining year for the hospitality industry: It will be difficult and critical for corporate leaders to lead with an open mind, to stay human, and to stay grounded.”
AI is the question on everyone’s minds when it comes to the future—in any industry. Hospitality is no exception, and it’s a pretty complicated consideration for an industry that is built on human connection and care. Gates’s advice is to approach AI integration with intentionality. It cannot be avoided, but creating a plan and implementing it now is the key to smart AI use that still prioritizes a human touch. “AI should already be supporting your organization’s brainstorming, research, menu development, content drafting, sentiment analysis, media monitoring, and measurement. Executives, meanwhile, should be spending more time on interpretation, narrative direction, relationship building, and thought leadership, with AI speeding execution.”
Besides AI, at the top of the list for 2026 preparations: value. We saw its importance back on-the-rise in late 2025, and customers are still spending where they find value over convenience. Gates says that rather than bombarding guests with the same email marketing that only every offers a recurring discount to consider strategically what guests want and what might pique their interest in new ways. “Strategic value looks like offering reservations for a personalized Chef’s Table experience, and gifting attendees with a limited-time branded thingamabob to commemorate the evening.”
Gates also touches on another trend we first picked up on in early 2025: beverages. Between premium coffee demands, the sober curious movement, and demand for creative mixology from bartenders, beverages will continue to drive up sales in 2026 and assert themselves as a core piece of the whole guest experience. If your restaurant has a bar, this is not a difficult trend to adjust for.
Lastly, Gates mentions what should be key components to any hospitable approach. She mentions leadership first, and at National Restaurant Consultants, we believe good leadership to be the cornerstone of any thriving business, restaurant or otherwise. From personalized leadership and culture-building practices comes a personalized approach to greeting and serving guests that makes a restaurant standout—and makes clear the value that customers are searching for in 2026. By knowing and reaching customers on their terms, you also create brand loyalty and generate the two-way communication necessary to continue to meet needs.
Richard Weil, owner and principal of National Restaurant Consultants reinforces this. “The basics of serving guests with the noted human touch will remain a cornerstone of our industry. Look at me, smile at me, and thank me will always be a foundational service acumen.”