Restaurant Trends 2025: 7 Menu Strategies to Increase Profit in a Crisis

Discover how to turn the top 7 challenges of 2025 into concrete tools for saving and boosting your restaurant’s profit.

Business optimization

At eatery.club, we don’t just create tools for HoReCa — we analyze global trends so you can turn challenges into growth opportunities. Forecasts are uncertain, but in today’s reality, ignoring them means falling behind competitors.

We gathered key insights from leading global experts and supplemented them with our restaurant automation experience to offer you a practical guide. Here are 7 trends that will determine success in 2025, and how the eatery.club ecosystem helps you stay one step ahead.

Value that sells. How to go beyond discounts and win over guests

The era of simple discounts is coming to an end. Today’s consumers, 72% of whom actively seek value offers according to Technomic, invest much more in “value” than simply a low price. It’s a complex equation involving quality, a unique experience, and dishes that are hard to replicate at home. Yet adding this extra value can and should be done without sacrificing profit, because technology allows it to be done elegantly and efficiently.

For example, instead of expensive paper brochures, a QR menu creates an instant “wow effect” with vibrant photos and detailed descriptions, increasing perceived dish value even before ordering.

Value continues in the experience: quick ordering via a Kiosk reduces wait times — a key satisfaction factor. And the final touch is a true loyalty program, which lets you configure bonus accrual and offer personalized rewards, turning one-time visitors into regular guests.

Smart saving. How technology helps cut restaurant costs

In times of war and economic instability, when every penny counts, talks of “sustainable development” may seem out of place. But at eatery.club we believe today it’s not about abstract ecology, but about concrete tools for survival and direct savings.

Forget complex jargon. The focus is on practical, measurable actions.

The first step is radically cutting printing costs. Switching to a QR menu completely eliminates the ongoing expense of design and print. In a crisis, these saved funds can be redirected to more urgent needs.

The second—and perhaps most important—step is fighting food waste, the budget’s main enemy. With the admin panel, you gain transparent sales analytics, clearly identifying menu “outliers.”

By optimizing your menu based on this data, you stop purchasing excess ingredients and directly reduce costs. Finally, for delivery business, the courier module builds the most efficient routes, leading to direct fuel savings—one of the most significant cost items.

Protein boom. How to adapt your menu and increase average check

The trend toward healthy living has brought protein to the forefront. It’s no longer a niche but mainstream. According to Technomic, 45% of consumers consciously increased meat consumption for protein, and fermented and plant-based alternatives are gaining popularity. Protein lattes, pancakes, and smoothies are becoming the norm.

This consumer demand is a great opportunity for restaurateurs, and modern tools allow immediate response.

With our Admin Panel, you can update the menu across all platforms in minutes: add “high protein” tags, detail nutritional value, or create a separate “fitness dishes” section. Moreover, our QR menu lets you set up targeted upsells: automatically suggest guests add protein ingredients to salads or main courses, easily boosting the average check.

Innovation without risk. How to safely test new dishes and ideas

Guests are tired of monotony. They seek unique flavors and expect you to surprise them with something extraordinary. But blindly following trends—like the infamous “spicy honey”—leads everyone to offer the same. So how to experiment without risking budget and reputation?

Although adopting flavor and ingredient trends is fine, you shouldn’t offer the same dishes as everyone else.

The answer is safe testing, enabled by technology. Launch a new dish as a “special of the day” in your QR menu.

You don’t need to print anything. Analytics in the Admin Panel will show real demand. If the dish “doesn’t take off,” you simply disable it with one click, incurring no losses. And for deeper insights, use the guest mobile app and push notifications: invite guests to rate the new dish in exchange for bonuses. This is priceless data for making bold yet informed decisions.

Snacking as a revenue source. How to earn from bites throughout the day

“Snackification”—replacing classic meals with smaller portions throughout the day—is a powerful trend changing consumption patterns. People increasingly eat on the go, at the bar, or between tasks. Restaurants that adapt to this format gain a new revenue stream.

Here, technology plays a key role in speed and convenience. Our self-service Kiosk is perfect for instant snack “to-go” orders, bypassing queues. And the QR menu lets guests order a quick bite to go with their drink right from their table or the bar, without waiting for a server. To drive extra traffic, you can easily create “happy snack hours” on your website or mobile app, effectively filling less busy periods.

Non-alcoholic & Low-ABV drinks. How to meet demand and sell more

Quality non-alcoholic cocktails have already become a standard. But the trend moves forward to low-alcohol (Low ABV) drinks and wines with reduced strength. These beverages require special presentation, as their value lies in depth and complexity of flavor, which must be described well.

This task is almost impossible with a limited paper menu. Instead, in eatery.club’s digital menu, you can create a separate, beautifully designed “Low/No ABV” section. You aren’t limited by space: add as many items as you want, detailing flavor profiles, history, and ingredients. Such presentation convinces guests to try something new. And you can update this section in a minute via the Admin Panel.

Artificial intelligence for restaurants. How to automate routine today

Artificial intelligence is the main macro-trend, but for many it remains abstract. Experts say AI can be a “creative partner in the kitchen,” generating ideas and recipes. But while competitors only discuss its possibilities, you can use it in practice. At eatery.club, we believe AI isn’t the future but the present of automation. Our Eatery AI Agent is the tool that turns theory into reality. It can handle routine tasks: take reservations, answer common customer questions, and assist with event planning.

Moreover, integrated with the loyalty program, AI analyzes order history and suggests dishes the guest will love. By automating routine, our AI Agent allows your staff to focus on what matters most — creativity, hospitality, and what makes your restaurant unique.