Toast survey shows 91% of US restaurant operators rate business health good or excellent in 2026

• Toast published its 2026 restaurant industry survey, showing 91% of operators rate business health as good or excellent.
• Inflation ranked the top challenge at 27%; hiring followed at 22%, both rising versus 2025.
• Profitability led operators’ priorities at 37%, with a greater focus on growth or efficiency instead of cost-cutting.
• AI adoption moved into the mainstream, with 87% of operators comfortable using AI; nearly 9 in 10 experimenting.
• 43% plan to raise menu prices if food costs increase over the next 12 months, down 5 percentage points year over year.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Toast Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief via Business Wire (Ref. ID: 202608260800BIZWIRE_USPR_____20260826_BW816298) on August 26, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.