Business Wire·Aug 18, 2026, 7:30 AM ET

AI Is Earning Its Place at the Table, New PAR Technology Survey Finds

PAR Technology released the 2026 Industry Report: AI on the Diner's Terms, analyzing data from 1,000 U.S. consumers surveyed in June 2026.
Consumer discomfort with restaurant AI dropped from 41% in 2025 to 27% in 2026, indicating nearly three-quarters of diners are open to AI integration.
Acceptance is highest for operational AI, with 48% comfortable with AI adjusting labor or optimizing menus, rising to 51% for improving service consistency.
Trust in AI-powered personalization grew from 33% to 45% overall, with 59% of parents with children under 25 accepting such offers.
62% of consumers would order through a Large Language Model (LLM) given a compelling offer, with Millennials, Gen Z, and parents showing the strongest enthusiasm.
Transparency is the primary trust factor for 43% of consumers, overtaking concerns about AI replacing human workers.
A firm boundary remains against full automation, as 47% believe AI replaces too much human interaction \& 44% require easy access to a real person.
PAR Intelligence aims to help operators deploy AI in high-comfort areas like operational decisions, personalized offers, \& service consistency.
The report compares 2026 findings against a 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers conducted in March 2025.