Paytronix & Access Hospitality Study: 48% of U.S. Food & Beverage Brands Expect AI To Improve Efficiency

64% agree that integrated technology could help scale their business 

Newton, Mass -- November 12, 2025 -- Paytronix, the leader in guest engagement for restaurants and convenience stores and an Access Group company, has zeroed in on the recently published Access Group report AI and Integrated Systems in the Hospitality Sector, which finds that 48% of American food & beverage respondents expect AI to be used to improve efficiency in the future. The report also looks at how these companies are consolidating their software systems and whether that will also help accelerate their business.

The Promise of AI

Artificial Intelligence - specifically understanding how brands are using it today, and what they expect from it - was emphasized heavily at the start of the survey. Across the board, responders looked positively towards AI’s future, while predicting a lot of room for growth in how they use AI, and where suppliers can provide extra value. In fact, 37% of respondents replied that they are actively rolling out AI across multiple departments of their business. Alternatively, a combined 47% of brands said that they either had early interest in AI and were just starting to explore the technology or haven’t implemented anything yet. When Access asked these brands what they want from AI technology, 32 % expect it to improve customer experiences and service quality, while 29% want better decision making through improved insights. Looking forward, while much of the industry has yet to commit to AI, brands still expect AI to help improve efficiency across the board and to help with reporting and routine tasks.

"Nearly half of brands expect AI to transform their efficiency, yet many are still figuring out where to start. AI and integrated systems hold tremendous promise for hospitality brands—from improving guest engagement through richer first-party data and better analytics to building the consolidated platforms that enable smarter operations. At Paytronix, we see our role as a partner in this evolution, helping brands consolidate their tech stack and harness AI in ways that deliver real operational efficiency and value. We've been pioneers in data-led solutions for more than two decades, and we're building on that strength with deeper investments in AI tooling—for our people and our products," said Nonita Verma, General Manager, Paytronix.

Current Technology Systems

Only 35% of brands believe they are currently using technology fairly well, while another 30% feel there is room for improvement in their own operations. Specifically, they identified the following challenges.

Training Staff – 21% said constant training is required due to high staff turnover, and 17% said there is not enough time to properly train everyone. All told, 55% said that staff and operational efficiency present a moderate to significant challenge for their business.

Forecasting – More than half (51%) of brands said that forecasting and revenue optimization is a moderate or significant challenge for their business. When allowed to select multiple options, respondents said that forecasting guest demand and predicting traffic were the two hardest challenges to get right, 52% and 49% respectively.

Getting it Right – Only 24% of businesses said that they have a provider to help with their business intelligence reporting, and 40% said they have a CRM tool, while 34% said they have a guest experience and communication management provider, and another 38% said they have loyalty program management.

Moving to Consolidated Systems

Brands were also asked about their level of system integration. That is, how they manage a web of disconnected systems; each operating in silos. This fragmentation creates inefficiencies, inflates costs, and undermines data confidence.

The report finds that 46% of U.S. respondents use two to four different software systems to run their business. When asked how long they spend managing fragmented systems, managers at these brands said they spend, on average, one to two hours each day switching between different systems or manually combining data. A combined 67% of responders said that consolidated data would definitely help their business (37%) or be a total game-changer (30%) for how they run their business.

Still, concerns remain around the commitment around using a consolidated technology system:

• 14% cited the cost and time investment required;
• 15% pointed to getting staff comfortable with new ways of working;
• 15% mentioned finding a solution that actually does everything they need;
• 14% worried that if one part of the system went down, everything could be affected.

Looking forward, the report presents a clear image that there are massive opportunities for U.S. food and beverage brands to optimize their tech stack and become more efficient via AI. At the same time, although there are concerns about systems consolidation, it’s clear that it would dramatically improve operations and help improve their data gathering and analysis that, in turn, power AI.

Methodology

To better understand people’s attitudes towards AI within the hospitality space, and where it is falling short, Access Hospitality surveyed 1,000 businesses currently working in the hospitality industry, alongside 8,000 consumers 18+ across the UK, USA, DACH region, Australia, Indonesia and India to get a balance of both consumer and business-led views. All respondents had recent experience dining out and staying in hotels, providing a fresh perspective on consumers’ views towards AI over traditional services.