How Restaurant Tech is Leveling the Playing Field for Independents
With rising food costs, labor volatility, and increasingly tech-savvy consumers, small and mid-sized restaurant operators are under pressure to do more with less. But at the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show, some companies—such as SpotOn—were not just advertising new technology rollouts. They were offering something more hopeful: a new generation of restaurant tech aimed not just at the biggest players, but at empowering independents to compete.
“There's this arms race that's playing out—the technology, the data—it’s allowing people to run a better and better business,” said Kevin Bryla, CMO and Head of Customer Experience, SpotOn, during a show-floor interview. “But one of the things we really care about is making sure that technology is democratized.”
Key Tech Trends Reshaping the Restaurant Landscape
Beyond the emphasis on community and independent empowerment, SpotOn’s team also weighed in on several broader industry trends gaining traction at the show.
Real-Time Menu Adaptation and Supply Chain Visibility
Supply chain instability was a recurring topic among vendors and operators alike. In response, platforms are evolving to offer real-time ingredient tracking, updated vendor pricing, and faster menu adjustments.
“There’s a lot of volatility in the market from the standpoint of costs—whether it’s eggs or avocados,” said Bryan Solar, Chief Product Officer, SpotOn. “We’re seeing people trying to create more dynamic versions of their restaurant to respond in real time to stimuli they don’t have control over.”
AI Voice Ordering Becomes Practical
Artificial intelligence—especially in voice applications—is maturing into practical, labor-saving tools. AI-driven phone ordering systems can now handle guest calls with the same accuracy and upselling prowess as a trained staff member, freeing up front-of-house teams to focus on in-person service.
“We’re seeing a proliferation of these voice ordering systems,” Solar said. “It’s a combination of both real utility and real cost [savings] from the labor standpoint, but also the tech has come a long way.”
Personalized Menus Go Mainstream
Digital ordering is getting smarter, even for small operators. Intelligent ordering—once exclusive to major chains—are becoming accessible to independents, enabling customized experiences and driving higher average checks.
These innovations, whether AI-powered or operator-driven, are increasingly designed not just for scale, but for flexibility—giving independents a fighting chance to meet modern consumer expectations with fewer resources and smaller teams.
Big Problems, Small Teams
Independent restaurant operators are no strangers to hustle. But in today’s environment, hustle alone isn’t enough. Whether it's inflation spiking the cost of eggs or unpredictable labor markets driving up staffing spend, independents are facing the same headwinds as chains—but without the deep bench of analysts and strategists.
That’s why many tech providers, including SpotOn, focused this year’s product updates on usability and accessibility. Tools built for independents now aim to surface one or two clear insights—rather than flooding GMs with dashboards and KPIs.
“Restaurants may have access to a lot of data but what they really want to know is: What are the one or two things I need to do this month to be more profitable,” said Bryan Solar, Chief Product Officer, SpotOn. “We used to give them 10 things a month to focus on,” said Jordan Silverman, Product Manager of SpotOn Profit Assist. But we consistently saw that restauranteurs only focused on the first two items on the list. So now, we keep it as simple as possible.”
Consolidation Without Lock-In
Along with usability, operators are also seeking consolidation—not complexity. Independent restaurateurs are increasingly looking for platforms that can combine point-of-sale, labor scheduling, online ordering, and analytics under one roof—without locking them into inflexible contracts.
“The merchants aren’t benefiting from there being 70 different points of sale,” Bryla explained. “And merchant expectations for technology have increased. It’s not just, ‘Can you take the orders?’ It’s, ‘Can you help me with scheduling, with reporting, with online ordering?’ so we have evolved into more of a complete restaurant management system.”
Investing in Community and Operator Education
Still, smaller operators need more than bundled features—they need platforms and vendors that act as long-term partners.
“If you’re a Cracker Barrel, you have the time, resources, and scale to dictate a product roadmap. Independents can’t do that,” Bryla added. “So our mission is to proactively look out for their best interests, including innovations they haven't thought to ask for.”
That’s why the company is investing not just in technology, but in education and community-building.
“We’ve started doing these operator education events—SpotOn Advisor Meetings,” Bryla said. “They’re totally free and virtual to maintain accessibility. We bring in guest speakers, we have discussions, and we invite local restaurants to just come and learn and talk to each other.”
These meetings are designed to break down barriers between operators and help them access insights that might otherwise be limited to industry insiders. Topics range from managing labor costs and navigating tech stacks to improving digital marketing or understanding financial reports. The goal? Equip owners and managers with actionable strategies they can take back to their restaurants the very next day.
It’s also about restoring a sense of peer connection.
“Independent restaurant owners tend to be very isolated. They’re so busy running the business they don’t have the time to talk to other restaurant owners and learn from each other,” Bryla explained. “So, they’re all learning the same hard lessons over and over again on their own. By creating a community for them, where they can share knowledge, share their pain, ask for help—it’s so incredibly impactful.”
While these events aren’t sales-driven, SpotOn does bring in members of its product team to hear directly from operators—turning casual conversations into real feature improvements or roadmap shifts. It’s a two-way exchange that reflects a larger philosophy: when independents are given a seat at the table, they can shape the future of the industry.