Customer Experience In The Foodservice Industry Statistics 2026

Foodservice customers increasingly expect support and personalization when they need it. Seventy percent of diners say they prefer help through the channel that fits their needs, and 55% would pay more for better customer support. These loyalty drivers connect to outcomes since 73% of organizations say customer experience affects business results.

Key Takeaways

55% of consumers say they would pay more for better customer support (Zendesk)
83% of consumers say they are willing to share personal data in exchange for better personalization (Salesforce)
73% of organizations say CX is important to business outcomes (Gartner customer experience survey)
1.3% of restaurants had their Yelp page rated “closed” or “temporarily closed” due to COVID-19 impact (share of U.S. restaurants, early pandemic period)
A 1-star increase in Yelp rating is associated with an 5%–9% increase in restaurant revenue (estimated effect size reported in research literature)
U.S. retail and food services e-commerce sales grew to $154.3B in Q4 2023 (quarterly e-commerce figure)
73% of consumers use online reviews to help decide where to eat
In the U.S., 59% of consumers say they use customer reviews to decide whether to order takeout or delivery
Ninety percent (90%) of consumers say online reviews influence their decision to purchase at a local business
46% of consumers say they will use self-service options (like ordering kiosks or online chat) to solve simple issues
Accuracy in order fulfillment is mentioned in 18% of negative online restaurant reviews (share of review mentions)
In a restaurant service quality study, perceived service failure led to significantly lower repurchase intention (standardized effect reported in the paper)
U.S. restaurants had 15.6% of their revenue on delivery in 2023 (share of total restaurant sales, reported industry estimate)
70% of customers say they prefer to be able to get support in a way that fits their needs (e.g., through the channel of their choice), according to the 2023 Salesforce State of Service report
59% of diners say they have felt frustrated when a restaurant was out of items online, according to a 2022 consumer study published by the National Restaurant Association

Great restaurant customer support drives faster growth, higher revenue, and repeat orders.

01 · Category

Customer Loyalty12 stats

55% of consumers say they would pay more for better customer support (Zendesk)https://www.zendesk.com/blog/customer-service-statistics/

83% of consumers say they are willing to share personal data in exchange for better personalization (Salesforce)https://www.salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/state-of-the-connected-customer/

73% of organizations say CX is important to business outcomes (Gartner customer experience survey)https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3999328/customer-experience-faq

Customer experience leaders outperform on revenue growth: 5.1x faster growth than CX laggards (Gartner)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-07-06-gartner-customer-experience-2022-research-shows-5-1-times-faster-revenue-growth-for-cx-leaders

37% of consumers feel most brands could improve on the speed of their customer service (Gartner consumer survey)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-08-13-gartner-forecast-the-future-of-customer-service

65% of consumers feel that personalization makes experiences more enjoyable (Salesforce)https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/connected-customer-report-2022-personalization/

51% of customers expect personalized experiences across multiple channels (Salesforce)https://www.salesforce.com/content/dam/web/en_us/www/documents/research/state-of-the-connected-customer.pdf

33% of consumers expect companies to use their data responsibly (Gartner)https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/4011944-90-of-executives-say-customer-experience-has-become-more

Customer experience is linked to revenue growth: CX leaders are 54% more likely than laggards to meet or exceed revenue goals (Gartner)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-08-24-gartner-customer-experience-leaders-revenue-goals

57% of diners say food delivery issues (missing items/delays) affect their willingness to order again (Second Measure, delivery research)https://www.secondmeasure.com/resources/consumer-delivery-research/

53% of customers say speed matters most in restaurant delivery experience (Toast)https://pos.toasttab.com/resources/restaurant-delivery-statistics

Customer effort reduction: 65% of consumers are more likely to buy when issues are resolved quickly (Forrester)https://www.forrester.com/report/customer-effort-score-future/

Interpretation

Customer Loyalty Interpretation

For customer loyalty in foodservice, the strongest trend is that improving support and personalization can pay off quickly since 55% of consumers would pay more for better customer support and personalization is seen as more enjoyable by 65% of consumers.

02 · Category

Customer Service4 stats

46% of consumers say they will use self-service options (like ordering kiosks or online chat) to solve simple issueshttps://www.csweek.com/2024/08/self-service-consumer-preferences/

Accuracy in order fulfillment is mentioned in 18% of negative online restaurant reviews (share of review mentions)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517719309113

In a restaurant service quality study, perceived service failure led to significantly lower repurchase intention (standardized effect reported in the paper)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1094670520980508

Companies that respond to customer complaints on social media within 1 hour can see a higher likelihood of positive brand sentiment (reported in marketing analytics study)https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/706618

Interpretation

Customer Service Interpretation

In foodservice, customer service success increasingly hinges on speed and low-friction help, since 46% of consumers want self-service for simple issues and rapid social media responses within 1 hour are linked to more positive brand sentiment, while order accuracy and service failures are common drivers of negative perceptions and lower repurchase intent.

03 · Category

Industry Trends3 stats

1.3% of restaurants had their Yelp page rated “closed” or “temporarily closed” due to COVID-19 impact (share of U.S. restaurants, early pandemic period)https://www.yelpblog.com/yelp-spotlight-on-covid-19-how-businesses-are-having-to-adjust/

A 1-star increase in Yelp rating is associated with an 5%–9% increase in restaurant revenue (estimated effect size reported in research literature)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1509/jm.10.0273

U.S. retail and food services e-commerce sales grew to $154.3B in Q4 2023 (quarterly e-commerce figure)https://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

For Industry Trends in foodservice customer experience, even small changes matter because a 1-star lift in Yelp ratings is linked to a 5% to 9% revenue increase while Q4 2023 U.S. retail and food services e-commerce reached $154.3B and COVID-era Yelp pages showing “closed” or “temporarily closed” still affected 1.3% of restaurants.

Customer Experience In IndustryCustomer Experience In The Bpo Industry Statistics

04 · Category

Consumer Expectations3 stats

73% of consumers use online reviews to help decide where to eathttps://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/

In the U.S., 59% of consumers say they use customer reviews to decide whether to order takeout or deliveryhttps://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey-2024/

Ninety percent (90%) of consumers say online reviews influence their decision to purchase at a local businesshttps://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey-2023/

Interpretation

Consumer Expectations Interpretation

In the consumer expectations for foodservice, online reviews are now a must rely on guide with 73% using them to choose where to eat and 90% saying they influence decisions at local businesses.

05 · Category

Service Expectations2 stats

70% of customers say they prefer to be able to get support in a way that fits their needs (e.g., through the channel of their choice), according to the 2023 Salesforce State of Service reporthttps://www.salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/state-of-service/

59% of diners say they have felt frustrated when a restaurant was out of items online, according to a 2022 consumer study published by the National Restaurant Associationhttps://restaurant.org/research/

Interpretation

Service Expectations Interpretation

Under service expectations, customers clearly want responsive support tailored to them, with 70% saying they prefer getting help through the channel of their choice, while 59% of diners report frustration when restaurants are out of items online.

06 · Category

Overview3 stats

U.S. restaurants had 15.6% of their revenue on delivery in 2023 (share of total restaurant sales, reported industry estimate)https://www.nrn.com/technology/delivery-now-accounts-156-restaurants-revenue

Global restaurant tech investment for customer engagement and ordering platforms exceeded $2B in 2023, per industry estimates compiled by The Business Research Company’s restaurant technology coveragehttps://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/restaurant-technology-global-market-report

US consumers are 2.1x more likely to try a restaurant if it offers online reservations or mobile ordering, according to a 2023 consumer survey published by OpenTable (as reported in its public industry insights)https://www.opentable.com/press/industry-insights-online-reservations

Interpretation

Industry Overview Interpretation

In today’s foodservice industry overview, delivery is already a meaningful revenue stream with US restaurants putting 15.6% of sales into delivery in 2023, while tech-backed customer engagement and ordering drew over $2B in 2023 and US consumers are 2.1 times more likely to try a restaurant when it offers online reservations or mobile ordering.

report visual · Comparison

What drives better customer experience in foodservice

Consumers prioritize faster, more helpful support—and rely heavily on reviews—while CX leaders are more likely to hit revenue goals.

Ninety percent (90%) of consumers say online reviews influence their decision to purchase at a local business90%

Customer effort reduction: 65% of consumers are more likely to buy when issues are resolved quickly (Forrester)

65%

Customer experience is linked to revenue growth: CX leaders are 54% more likely than laggards to meet or exceed revenue

54%

37% of consumers feel most brands could improve on the speed of their customer service (Gartner consumer survey)

37%

source-verifiedgartner.com · forrester.com · brightlocal.com

Reference

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APA

Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Customer Experience In The Foodservice Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/customer-experience-in-the-foodservice-industry-statistics

MLA

Priya Chandrasekaran. "Customer Experience In The Foodservice Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/customer-experience-in-the-foodservice-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Customer Experience In The Foodservice Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/customer-experience-in-the-foodservice-industry-statistics.