BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS: Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit 2026
The Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit just concluded in San Diego, CA.
They describe it as: “At the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit, top executives share how they’re scaling smarter and growing faster through bold innovation. You’ll gain the insights, inspiration, and connections to take your brand to the next level. If you’re ready to lead the charge, this is where it starts.”
The show attracts growth-minded, proactive multi-unit brands who are interested in learning, sharing, and improving. It’s a GREAT show!
Here are my KEY TAKEAWAYS
IS THIS THING ON BRAND?
Is your online ordering experience on brand? Is your parking lot experience on brand? Are you giving the same online experience that you are giving in store? Do you have a brand statement, brand position, or brand promise?
If you don't want to end up launching a full apology campaign (I'm looking at you, BK), then having these things—and staying in alignment—is important.
A big theme at the show was brands talking about a focus on being on brand always.
Guests aren't just coming in for a meal; it's an experience—your brand experience.
Need some help with a brand promise? Check this out!
FEEDBACK IS A GIFT
In a really fun session, 🍽️Zack Oates🍕, CEO and founder of Ovation (my feedback platform of choice), shared a lot of great statistics about guest feedback.
Check this out.
MOST COMMON REASONS GUESTS LEAVE A 1-STAR REVIEW
Speed of service
Inaccurate order
Preparation
Taste
Attentiveness
Temperature
Price
MOST OFTEN PRAISED IN A 5-STAR REVIEW
Taste
Friendliness
Ambience
Speed of service
Portion
Cleanliness
If you look closely, there is a lot of overlap between the two lists. So what does that tell us?
Good food and good service are table stakes. Operational excellence is what drives the business, and if you don't have that, no amount of marketing will help you.
That's why feedback is so important. You need to know if guests are happy.
REASONS GUESTS CALL A RESTAURANT
Place an order
Support / help
Reservation & Events
Locations & Hours
Feedback & Survey
Think about this… AI can handle most of that.
Want to see something fun? Call my restaurant: (718) 550-6659
We don't get a lot of orders over the phone at Handcraft Burgers and Brew , but we do get calls. So we partnered with Palona AI and I let my 9-year-old son train our AI.
Now you can call and talk to Jack AI.
We let it have his personality, and now people call just because Jack AI is fun to talk to.
NAME A PLACE GUESTS SAY THEY HEARD ABOUT A RESTAURANT
Referral / Word of mouth
Local visibility
Social media
Search & Review sites
Delivery Platforms
What are you doing in each of these channels to get the most out of them?
TRAFFIC IS DOWN. WHAT MARKETERS ARE THINKING ABOUT
Traffic is down across the market. Everyone is feeling the squeeze.
Many people might default to thinking about how to get new guests, but marketers are thinking about how to get more out of current guests.
How do we increase LTV? How do we increase basket size? How do we increase return trips?
How are we doing it? Lots of ways. But every path starts with good data.
Marketers are looking for answers from their tech stack or AI that tell them what's working, what to do more of, and what to stop doing.
HOT INFLUENCER MARKETING TIPS
Here are some hot, high-level tips from a really great panel featuring a number of marketers who really know what they're talking about.
Why influencer marketing works: the result is great content that's on brand and comes across as a trusted endorsement.
Who are the best influencers? Find ones who already like your brand and have created content.
When the content is really good, spend money to make sure it’s seen by more people.
Influencer posts are affecting and influencing AI search.
Build relationships with influencers you really like. Don't treat it like a transaction.
Don't chase followers. Work with influencers who drive brand engagement.
Make sure your store-level team is ready and excited.
Shift from thinking of them as influencers to content creators.
WHO IS USING AI AND WHAT ARE THEY USING?
In short, operators are using a mix of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other solutions inside some of the tech they already use.
To sum up what operators are looking for: Something that thinks for us, sees the things we don't see, and tells us what to do next.
If you're an AI provider, pay attention: operators are not looking to figure out what questions to ask and then prompt an AI agent.They want the AI magic to happen for them.
Props to Katy Stocks from Thrive Restaurant Group for this one:
Open your favorite AI and use this prompt:“What’s the best way to order food from [INSERT YOUR BRAND]?”
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If you were at #RFISummit, what did you take away?
#RFISummit2026 #restaurantbusiness #restauranttech #restaurantowners #restaurantmarketing #restaurantindustry #restaurantowner #revsmarketingtips #fastcasual #restaurantowner
