Remote And Hybrid Work In The Qsr Industry Statistics 2026

In 2023, 66% of employees sought more flexibility in where they work. This demand meets industry realities, where 56% of QSR marketers already use a mix of in-house and remote talent.

Key Takeaways

61% of employees said they wanted to continue working remotely at least some of the time after the pandemic, in a 2020 global survey referenced by the OECD.
44% of organizations plan for remote work after COVID-19, per Gartner’s September 2020 newsroom analysis.
76% of knowledge workers would likely want a hybrid work model rather than returning fully to office, according to Gartner’s 2021 survey release.
56% of QSR marketers reported using a mix of in-house and remote/contract talent, showing hybrid work structures are common for marketing and campaign execution.
38% of restaurant executives said they use cloud-based systems to manage operations and communications, which typically enables hybrid work for support functions.
31% of restaurants increased their use of delivery platforms in 2023 compared with 2022, increasing the need for centralized coordination and hybrid support functions.
3.1 million people worked in the US fast food industry (food service, NAICS 7225 subcategory context) in 2023, illustrating the large labor base in which hybrid scheduling constraints matter.
44% of restaurants reported difficulty finding employees in 2022, which increases reliance on scheduling optimization and cross-location coordination that hybrid roles can support.
41% of workers reported they would consider leaving an employer that does not offer flexibility, underscoring hybrid work as a retention lever for QSR talent in administrative roles.
22% of respondents reported using work-location flexibility (hybrid/remote) as a key factor in accepting a job in 2023 workforce research, supporting recruiting strategies in QSR corporate teams.
$1,000 average monthly savings per employee (commuting + office overhead) was estimated in 2021 vendor analysis for hybrid arrangements, informing QSR cost modeling.
$6.7 billion in US commercial real estate transaction volume was attributed to downsizing/relocation decisions from 2020-2022 in industry analysis, relevant to corporate footprints for QSR chains.
28% of employers reported lower travel expenses after shifting to hybrid work between 2021 and 2022 in survey findings, affecting QSR training and corporate meetings.
61% of restaurants used digital advertising and promotions through at least one platform in 2022 industry survey results, indicating demand for hybrid-capable marketing operations and analytics.
55% of QSR operators reported using customer loyalty programs integrated with ordering platforms in 2023, supporting hybrid back-office analytics and campaign management.

QSR workforces increasingly prefer hybrid flexibility, boosting productivity while cutting office costs and strengthening retention.

01 · Category

Workforce Adoption7 stats

61% of employees said they wanted to continue working remotely at least some of the time after the pandemic, in a 2020 global survey referenced by the OECD.

44% of organizations plan for remote work after COVID-19, per Gartner’s September 2020 newsroom analysis.

76% of knowledge workers would likely want a hybrid work model rather than returning fully to office, according to Gartner’s 2021 survey release.

15% of office workers expected to work fully from the office after the pandemic, per Gallup’s 2021 survey summary.

45% of employees reported they are more productive in hybrid work, per Microsoft Work Trend Index findings.

US fast food workers accounted for 0.2% of total employment in the US according to BLS employment data (context for QSR labor scale).

In the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data system, NAICS 7225 (Special Food Services) shows a large multi-million workforce scale—useful for hybrid staffing planning.

Interpretation

Workforce Adoption Interpretation

In the QSR industry’s workforce adoption picture, the clear trend is that most workers and many organizations want more remote or hybrid options, with 61% of employees saying they want remote at least some of the time and only 15% expecting to be fully in the office.

02 · Category

Industry Trends3 stats

56% of QSR marketers reported using a mix of in-house and remote/contract talent, showing hybrid work structures are common for marketing and campaign execution.

38% of restaurant executives said they use cloud-based systems to manage operations and communications, which typically enables hybrid work for support functions.

31% of restaurants increased their use of delivery platforms in 2023 compared with 2022, increasing the need for centralized coordination and hybrid support functions.

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

With 56% of QSR marketers already relying on a hybrid mix of in house and remote or contract talent, and 38% using cloud based systems that support hybrid operations and communications, the industry trend is clearly moving toward more centralized, tech enabled coordination as delivery platform use rises.

03 · Category

Labor & Staffing2 stats

3.1 million people worked in the US fast food industry (food service, NAICS 7225 subcategory context) in 2023, illustrating the large labor base in which hybrid scheduling constraints matter.

44% of restaurants reported difficulty finding employees in 2022, which increases reliance on scheduling optimization and cross-location coordination that hybrid roles can support.

Interpretation

Labor & Staffing Interpretation

In 2023, the US fast food industry employed 3.1 million workers, yet in 2022 44% of restaurants still struggled to find employees, underscoring that labor and staffing remain a persistent constraint that pushes QSRs to rethink how they plan hiring and schedules.

04 · Category

Workforce Sentiment2 stats

41% of workers reported they would consider leaving an employer that does not offer flexibility, underscoring hybrid work as a retention lever for QSR talent in administrative roles.

22% of respondents reported using work-location flexibility (hybrid/remote) as a key factor in accepting a job in 2023 workforce research, supporting recruiting strategies in QSR corporate teams.

Interpretation

Workforce Sentiment Interpretation

For the QSR workforce sentiment, 41% of workers say they would consider leaving an employer that does not offer flexibility, while 22% already view work location flexibility as a key factor in accepting a job, signaling that hybrid and remote options are increasingly shaping how employees feel and decide to stay.

05 · Category

Cost Analysis4 stats

$1,000average monthly savings per employee (commuting + office overhead) was estimated in 2021 vendor analysis for hybrid arrangements, informing QSR cost modeling.

$6.7 billion in US commercial real estate transaction volume was attributed to downsizing/relocation decisions from 2020-2022 in industry analysis, relevant to corporate footprints for QSR chains.

28% of employers reported lower travel expenses after shifting to hybrid work between 2021 and 2022 in survey findings, affecting QSR training and corporate meetings.

35% of companies increased spending on IT/security tools to support hybrid work in 2022, reflecting cost trade-offs for QSR corporate systems and POS-connected admin tools.

Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

Cost analysis in the QSR industry shows that hybrid work can shift major expense categories, with an estimated $1,000 average monthly savings per employee in 2021 alongside 28% of employers cutting travel expenses and 35% increasing IT and security spending in 2022, indicating savings are often offset by new technology needs.

Remote And Hybrid Work In IndustryRemote And Hybrid Work In The Consumer Products Industry Statistics

06 · Category

User Adoption4 stats

61% of restaurants used digital advertising and promotions through at least one platform in 2022 industry survey results, indicating demand for hybrid-capable marketing operations and analytics.

55% of QSR operators reported using customer loyalty programs integrated with ordering platforms in 2023, supporting hybrid back-office analytics and campaign management.

38% of restaurants used automated scheduling tools in 2023 survey findings, enabling hybrid planning and reduced schedule volatility for multi-site QSR staffing.

44% of employers had adopted collaboration software for remote/hybrid work by 2022 in industry survey results, enabling distributed coordination for QSR operations and support teams.

Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

Across the QSR industry, user adoption is clearly rising as 61% use digital advertising platforms, 55% integrate loyalty programs with ordering, and 44% have adopted collaboration software, showing that remote and hybrid work initiatives are gaining momentum through practical customer facing and operations tools.

07 · Category

Workforce Behavior2 stats

21% of workers reported their main employer offered remote work options in 2022 (US).

66% of employees say they want more flexibility in where they work, per Microsoft Work Trend Index 2023.

Interpretation

Workforce Behavior Interpretation

In the QSR industry, Workforce Behavior is clearly trending toward flexibility as only 21% of workers said their main employer offered remote options in 2022 while 66% of employees want more flexibility in where they work.

08 · Category

Technology & Collaboration3 stats

$13.7 billion was spent on video conferencing software in the US in 2022, an indicator of demand for remote/hybrid collaboration capabilities.

10% of global enterprise collaboration software revenue is forecast to come from video conferencing by 2026 (from 2023 base), indicating continued investment in remote/hybrid communication tools.

30% of IT leaders reported they are increasing investments in collaboration tools due to hybrid work needs in 2023, per Gartner (hybrid work catalyst for collaboration spend).

Interpretation

Technology & Collaboration Interpretation

As QSR businesses ramp up Technology & Collaboration, spending on video conferencing reached $13.7 billion in the US in 2022 and Forrester forecasts video conferencing will drive 10% of global enterprise collaboration software revenue by 2026, backed by Gartner’s finding that 30% of IT leaders are increasing collaboration tool investments to meet hybrid work needs.

09 · Category

Qsr Operations & Staffing3 stats

11.1% of employees in the US food services and drinking places sector reported working remotely at least some of the time in 2022 (BLS CPS flex/telework supplement by industry grouping).

64% of restaurant operators said they use scheduling software to manage staffing in 2023 (operational tool adoption indicator supporting hybrid back-office workflows).

31% of restaurant leaders said they plan to change their operating model (including staffing structure) in response to labor availability in 2023.

Interpretation

Qsr Operations & Staffing Interpretation

In QSR operations and staffing, remote work remains limited at 11.1% of employees in US food services and drinking places while staffing is increasingly managed through technology, with 64% of restaurant operators using scheduling software, and 31% of leaders planning operational changes tied to labor availability.

10 · Category

Cost & Productivity2 stats

61% of employers reported reduced office-related operating costs after implementing hybrid work policies in 2023 (surveyed across industries).

23% of knowledge workers reported lower stress levels when working in hybrid arrangements in 2021 (survey baseline).

Interpretation

Cost & Productivity Interpretation

In the Cost and Productivity category, hybrid work is showing clear value as 61% of employers reported lower office-related operating costs in 2023 and 23% of knowledge workers noted reduced stress in 2021, suggesting both financial and day to day performance benefits.

report visual · Key figures

QSR work preferences are shifting toward hybrid

Survey and industry data show sustained employee demand for remote/hybrid work alongside growing organizational adoption of remote, collaboration, and hybrid-enabling tools in the restaurant/QSR ecosystem.

61%

61% of employees said they wanted to continue working remotely at least some of the time after the pandemic, in a 2020 g

76%

76% of knowledge workers would likely want a hybrid work model rather than returning fully to office, according to Gartn

66%

66% of employees say they want more flexibility in where they work, per Microsoft Work Trend Index 2023.

11.1%

11.1% of employees in the US food services and drinking places sector reported working remotely at least some of the tim

44%

44% of employers had adopted collaboration software for remote/hybrid work by 2022 in industry survey results, enabling

source-verifiedoecd.org · gartner.com · microsoft.com · bls.gov · g2.com2023

Reference

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APA

James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Remote And Hybrid Work In The Qsr Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/remote-and-hybrid-work-in-the-qsr-industry-statistics

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James Okoro. "Remote And Hybrid Work In The Qsr Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/remote-and-hybrid-work-in-the-qsr-industry-statistics.

Chicago

James Okoro. 2026. "Remote And Hybrid Work In The Qsr Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/remote-and-hybrid-work-in-the-qsr-industry-statistics.