By Bob Donofrio
Chief Client Officer
At the 2025 Restaurant Finance and Development Conference (RFDC) in Las Vegas, restaurant experts revealed how leading brands are preparing for 2026. Instead of competing on price alone, successful operators are doubling down on menu strategy, operational excellence and experience-led value to increase customer retention and drive traffic.
Moderated by Bloomberg Intelligence’s Michael Halen, industry leaders Lance Trenary (Golden Corral), Sharlene Smith (Zaxby’s) and John Oakes (Revenue Management Solutions) shared three proven strategies to help restaurant brands consistently beat the odds and keep guests coming back. For more industry insights, listen to Trenary and Smith in future episodes of Halen’s “Choppin’ It Up” podcast.
1. Value Must Feel “Worth It” in 2026
What the Data Shows
Today’s restaurant customers are rewarding brands that deliver quality, generous portions and memorable experiences — not just low prices.
RMS pricing intelligence shows that “everyday value” now depends on smart menu design, data-driven pricing strategy andbundles that protect margins.
Gen Z diners — the only demographic cohort increasing restaurant spend — choose brands offering experience and flavor innovation over blanket discounting.
“We’ve seen some brands refocus how they think about value. Price is still incredibly important, but we are seeing a push towards other parts of the equation, such as quality of experience and value in the everyday core menu. That will continue into 2026,” said Oakes.
Real Restaurant Results
Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary outlined his brand’s winning approach to quality and customer experience, which started by elevating cleanliness standards across its stores, especially bathrooms and buffet presentation.
The brand also focused on constant menu innovation, introducing new products that appeal to all demographics to support perceived value, Trenary added.
“When you have the ability to put out 160 items every day, our organizing principle is to be the ‘only one for everyone.’ We organize our offerings so everyone can find something that they absolutely love.”
2. Operational Excellence Is a Customer Retention Strategy
What the Data Shows
RMS traffic modeling shows that brands with strong unit-level execution significantly outperform competitors relying on price increases alone to drive revenue.
Key operational drivers of customer retention include:
- Speed
- Cleanliness
- Consistency
- Food quality
Customer sentiment data from RMS partner MerchantCentric confirms this retention loop:
Better experience → Better reviews → Better traffic → Better sales
Real Restaurant Results
Golden Corral’s performance aligns with RMS data. Throughout the pandemic and recent uncertainty, the brand held quality and abundance steady while competitors raised prices.
3. Winning 2026 Requires Menu innovation and Workforce Agility
What the Data Shows
Restaurant customers are now increasingly selective about where they spend their money. According to RMS QSR industry trends, Q3 2025 traffic was down 1.1% compared to last year, which saw a 2.1% decline.
In addition to operational excellence, top-performing restaurant brands will accelerate limited-time offer (LTO) frequency, expand beverage-led menu innovation and use franchise financial analytics and real-time performance insights to manage cost pressures.
Gen Z represents both a growing customer segment and a reliable labor pool when brands offer schedule flexibility and modern technology tools. RMS research shows 63% of new restaurant employees are Gen Z, while the Millennial share continues to shrink.
Real Restaurant Results
Smith shared that Zaxby’s plans four to six LTOs per year — often tied to its core menu items, like its “amazing tenders.”
“We try to use [LTOs] sparingly, but we also make sure we keep them connected as much as possible to our core menu and with line expansions. We’re really seeing those help bring in new guests,” Smith explained.
Beverage innovation is another high-ROI opportunity. Zaxby’s brought back its milkshakes and added new flavors based on fan demand.
Still, Smith cautioned against “all LTOs, all the time.” Customers must fall in love with the core menu, too.
The Playbook for Winning in 2026
The winning formula is simple: Strategic menu development drives customer traffic and data-driven operations drive profitability. Restaurant brands that master both will lead their segments in 2026.
Visit RMS’ Revenue Stream library for expert guidance on restaurant pricing strategy, traffic forecasting, franchise financial optimization and menu innovation.
