A New Report Highlights the Restaurant Industry’s Digital Divide

The technological haves and have-nots of the restaurant world are drifting further apart, according to a new report from 7shifts, a prominent scheduling and payroll platform. Released on September 10th, “The State of Restaurant Tech 2025” reveals a stark gap between establishments leveraging integrated systems and those encumbered by outdated, manual processes. The findings are compiled in a new guide, the “Digital Prep List,” designed to help operators navigate an increasingly complex technological landscape.

The research report horeca operators have been waiting for surveyed over 500 professionals and found that while technology adoption is widespread—65% of restaurants implemented a new tool last year—true integration remains elusive. Nearly half of operators (49%) describe their systems as connected, but a significant portion still relies on analogue methods. The data paints a picture of persistent inefficiency: 47% use paper for scheduling, half conduct inventory counts by hand, and 57% depend on group texts for staff communication.

According to Jordan Boesch, CEO of 7shifts, this divide has a direct impact on the bottom line. With 44% of operators missing labour cost targets and over half citing food inflation as their primary challenge, he argues that the right technology is “a necessity,” not a luxury. The report identifies that only one in seven restaurants has reached the most advanced stage of tech adoption, where real-time data on costs and compliance is readily available.

This disparity in restaurant tech adoption creates significant competitive disadvantages. Operators with fragmented systems struggle with profitability and efficiency, while their more integrated counterparts report measurable gains in labour management, payroll automation, and staff experience. 7shifts’ “Digital Prep List” aims to provide a roadmap for operators, benchmarking their current stage and offering actionable steps to close these critical technology gaps and improve their operational footing.