Diners Revise Their Thoughts About AI

Par Technology Corporation's "2026 Industry Report: AI on the Diner's Terms" analyzes findings from 1,000 surveyed consumers on AI's expanding role in the restaurant experience, revealing a meaningful shift from 2025.

In 2025, 41% of surveyed consumers said they'd choose a restaurant that avoided AI altogether. One year later, average discomfort with restaurant AI has fallen to 27%. This means nearly three in four diners are now open to AI playing some role in their experience, depending on how it's used. That's a meaningful signal: Consumers aren't just tolerating AI; they're actively reassessing its value.

The shift doesn't mean consumers are ready to hand everything over to AI. Rather, the research suggests diners are increasingly willing to embrace AI when the value is clear: faster service, greater consistency, and more relevant experiences. What they expect in return is transparency about when and how AI is used. They also want the ability to reach a real person when needed.

"Consumers are giving operators clear direction: They are open to AI when it makes their experience better," said Savneet Singh, CEO of Par Technology. "The operators who move now to build that trust will own the guest relationship. The ones who wait will be handing it to someone else. This is not about replacing humans. It is about making sure restaurants are present, relevant, and in control wherever their guests choose to order next."

Key findings

• Operational AI earns the strongest acceptance. Nearly half of surveyed consumers (48%) are comfortable with AI making operational decisions like adjusting labor based on demand or optimizing menus based on inventory. Comfort rises to 51% when AI is used to improve service consistency and shorten wait times.
• Diners are increasingly open to AI-powered personalization. A year ago, only 33% of consumers trusted AI to suggest personalized offers based on their dining history, but that number has risen to an average of 45%. Notably, parents with children under 25 in the household stood out at 59% versus 38% of those without kids. This jump suggests the value exchange is becoming clearer, and personalization grounded in dining history feels relevant rather than intrusive.
• LLMs emerge as a new ordering frontier. 62% would order through an LLM given the right offer, with Millennials (73%), Gen Z (70%), and parents (74%) showing the most enthusiasm. Younger diners and parents aren't debating whether to order through an LLM. For many, the only question is whether the offer is good enough.
• Transparency is the clearest trust signal. 43% rank transparency first when it comes to trusting AI usage at restaurants, nearly 3x any other factor, overtaking last year's top concern about AI replacing workers (64%).
• Human touch remains a firm boundary. 47% say AI goes too far when it replaces most human interaction, and 44% say the same when they cannot easily reach a person. Only 7% believe a restaurant cannot be too automated.

The findings are from an online survey of 1,000 U.S. adult consumers fielded in June 2026 through Dynata's consumer panel and commissioned by Par Technology. Year-over-year comparisons reference Par's 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers conducted online in March 2025.