DoorDash + SevenRooms
The 2026 Restaurant Industry Trends Report: A 360° View Across Delivery & Dine-In
For the first time, DoorDash and SevenRooms combined their data to show you the full picture.
How your customers discover new restaurants, what makes them convert, and what keeps them coming back.
Based on orders from 50M monthly users and surveys of 3,001 US consumers.
A glimpse of what's inside
A preview of what's inside. Download the report for the full answers.
Discovery
The #1 channel driving new customers isn't what most operators are investing in.
Menus
One change that takes under an hour could lift average sales by double digits.
Loyalty
Most loyalty programs are built around the wrong moment in the customer journey.
Operations
83% of operators say one change would directly improve profitability. Most haven't made it yet.
79% repeat orders
79% of delivery customers also dine in at the same restaurant
Download free report
The same customer who orders tonight may book a table this weekend. Most restaurants never see the connection.
Dynata survey, 3,001 US consumers, March 2026
55% browsing
55% of first-time orders on DoorDash came from consumers who were browsing, not looking for a specific restaurant. Most new customers find you while exploring DoorDash. Your listing, photos, and reviews determine whether that search turns into an order.
Download free report
Dynata survey, 3,001 US consumers, March 2026
13% lift in sales
13% average sales lift from adding photos to more than half your menu items. Just from completing your menu profile. No ad spend, no new channel.
Download free report
Dynata survey, 3,001 US consumers, March 2026
22% use AI
22% of consumers have used AI to choose a restaurant. AI pulls from delivery platforms and review sites. Only 39% of restaurant owners have optimized their listings to appear.
Download free report
Dynata survey, 3,001 US consumers, March 2026
What operators are asking
and what the data says
Download the report for the complete answer to these must-know questions.
22% of diners already use AI to choose a restaurant. Most operators don't show up. Find out why and how to fix it.
How to start a restaurant loyalty program in 2026
Restaurant loyalty programs increase repeat orders and revenue. According to the 2026 Restaurant Industry Trends Report, 66% of consumers order more often from restaurants where they actively use a loyalty program.
May 16, 202612 min read
How to Increase Restaurant Sales: 15 Tactics with Real DoorDash Data
15 strategies to increase restaurant sales in 2026, with real data on what's actually working: menu engineering, delivery optimization, loyalty, and local SEO.
May 15, 202612 min read
9 Restaurant Marketing Ideas (With Examples from Real Merchants)
Discover practical restaurant marketing ideas from real merchants you can use to reach more customers, build loyalty, grow your business, and boost orders.
Nov 25, 20259 min read
Frequently asked questions
Download & access
Yes. Fill in your details above and you'll get instant access to the full PDF. No payment required, no subscription.
This is the first joint report from DoorDash and SevenRooms, created in collaboration with Datalily. It draws on two surveys conducted by Dynata in March 2026: 3,001 US consumers and 509 US restaurant operators, plus delivery data from 50M+ monthly DoorDash users and reservations data from 13,000+ SevenRooms venues globally.
All DoorDash annual restaurant trend reports are in the Annual Reports section on this page. The 2025 and 2024 editions are free to download without a form.
Yes. Once you download it, you're free to share it internally. Anyone who wants their own copy can download it for free using the form above.
What's in the report
AI-powered discovery and the rise of third-party delivery. 22% of consumers have used AI to choose a restaurant, yet only 39% of operators have updated their listings to show up in those results. Third-party delivery is now the top driver of new customer acquisition, cited by 30% of restaurant owners.
AI tools like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity now pull restaurant recommendations from delivery platforms before a customer opens a map. 41.6% of restaurant-related AI queries cite third-party platforms as a source. Restaurants with complete, accurate listings show up. Those without don't.
Cross-channel programs that follow customers across delivery and dine-in. 66% of consumers order more often from restaurants where they're active loyalty members. The shift toward programs that follow customers across both channels is already underway.
The highest-ROI changes don't require a marketing budget. Restaurants like yours could see up to 13% higher average sales by adding photos to more than half your menu items, and up to 6% more by adding descriptions to at least half. Joining DashPass could increase your take-home delivery sales by over 30%.
Download the Full 2026 Report
These are highlights. The full report breaks the numbers down by restaurant type, covers how your customers move between delivery and dine-in and what it takes to keep them coming back.
Download free report