• by Teresa Buyikian , Yesterday

A new report from DoorDash revealed that AI is playing an increasingly important role in consumer decisions on where to eat or order.

The DoorDash 2026 Restaurant Industry Trends Report surveyed over 3,000 U.S. consumers and more than 500 operators on the trends driving the restaurant guest experience.

The report found that 22% of consumers have used an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini to help choose a restaurant to dine in or obtain delivery, searching by cuisine, occasion or value. In terms of reservations, a full 75% of those surveyed said they’re “comfortable” using AI for reservations, yet only 28% of operators are using AI to manage calls and customer service.

The report also found that customers move “fluidly” across channels. For example, a customer might discover a restaurant through AI, proceed to order for delivery and later book a table for a date night. And the same customer wants those experiences to connect; 64% said say they would “prefer one app for managing delivery, pickup, and reservations, a sign that convenience, choice, and consistency are becoming part of the same guest expectation.”

And an experience on one channel leads to another, as 74% of respondent said a dine-in visit led them to later order delivery from that same restaurant, while 62% said a delivery order led them to later dine in.

What channel a customer utilizes is also driven by the occasion, with 86% of respondents reporting that dine-in is the choice for special occasions like birthdays and date nights.

Familiarity also drives repeat business, as the report found that 80% of dine-in visits and 79% of orders are with restaurants that consumers have tried before.

Attention to detail was also said to drive repeat business, with 65% of respondent saying the “a restaurant remembering their preferences — dietary restrictions, favorite dishes, seating choices — would directly affect how often they choose that restaurant.” Speaking of dietary restrictions, 59% of consumers surveyed “actively seek out allergen and dietary information when ordering or consider it a welcome addition when it's there.”

Personalized recommendations, or a direct follow-up by the restaurant, prompted 63% of consumers to return. In terms of follow-up, 87% of consumers said a “credit, discount, or perk” influenced them to reorder.