78% of Gen Z say good personalised food/drink recommendations would encourage them to give restaurants access to personal information. For Gen Z, hyper personalisation will be a key expectation from foodservice brands, and the perceived benefits of tailored experiences make the trade-off of sharing personal data worthwhile.
Just 26% of over-55s have used touchscreen ordering, and 13% have used at-table ordering via a smartphone in foodservice establishments, despite being a key foodservice visiting demographic. In an increasingly digital and automated world, brands will need to be mindful that for older generations, especially, the “human touch” is valued, and to be mindful of introducing “tech for tech’s sake” when serving this generation.
Utilising technology to provide a sensory experience can help brands provide unique and compelling experiences that amplify, rather than detract from, their core offering. Incorporating sensory aspects can drive perceptions of venues offering premium, novel experiences that consumers can deem to be higher quality.
This report looks at the following areas:
- How the cost-of-living crisis affects consumers’ appetite for leisure and foodservice activities, and can be a driver for the adoption of technology in foodservice settings for brands.
- Consumers’ use of technology in foodservice settings, and how brands can optimise their use of technology to serve different demographic needs.
- Predictions on how technology will shape leisure and foodservice, highlighting what consumers value, and how automation and personalisation can enhance a brand’s offering.
- How brands use technology in leisure and foodservice to enhance experiences, while balancing the trade-off between innovation and venue appeal.
- Practical recommendations for businesses in leisure and foodservice, such as using technology to create novel engaging experiences and drive premiumisation opportunities.
Convenience and personalisation are at the heart of tech adoption in leisure and foodservice settings. While multi-sensory enhancements can drive novel, premium opportunities longer term.
Joe Birch, Senior Technology and Leisure Analyst
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this report, Mintel has used the following definitions: the report covers the use of technology in leisure and foodservice settings in the UK. These include those accessed via a smartphone as well as standalone technologies used by venues such as touchscreens and QR codes.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for technology in leisure and foodservice
- Sensory tech integrations can drive premiumisation opportunities
- Highlight convenience and personalisation to drive technology use in leisure and foodservice settings
- Convergence of technologies will add playful and novel engagements in leisure settings
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market predictions
- Consumers are prioritising fewer, higher-value leisure experiences
- Graph 1: index of financial sentiment in the next year, 2016-25
- Technology can be a key selling point for exhibitions
- Graph 2: attitudes towards use of technology in visitor attraction experiences, 2024
- Technology can facilitate the mental and physical upside of leisure
- Graph 3: factors influencing choice of leisure activity, 2023-25
- What consumers want and why
- Use technology to help meet evolving service needs
- Graph 4: leisure activities undertaken in past 12 months, 2025
- Use technology to maximise in-venue value
- Graph 5: use of technology in foodservice settings, 2025
- Dynamic pricing could be palatable if it can work both ways
- Graph 6: attitudes towards technology in foodservice, 2025
- Automation will play a key role in foodservice
- Graph 7: attitudes towards technology in foodservice, 2025
- Use technology to enhance the appeal of your leisure attraction
- Graph 8: interest in technological leisure concepts, 2025
- Deliver proactive convenience to help consumers maximise their enjoyment
- Graph 9: attitudes towards technology in leisure and foodservice, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- Tech tools to aid convenience and boost loyalty in foodservice
- Brands look to bring a sense of the intense to leisure settings
- Technology powers the next generation of immersive entertainment and leisure
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market drivers
- Hospitality and leisure sector faces increased pressure from tax rises
- ONS labour market figures point to reduction of payroll staff despite vacancies
- Despite improvement in consumer finances, consumers are still cautious
- Graph 10: index of financial sentiment in the next year, 2016-25
- For most people, the cost of living remains a significant challenge
- Graph 11: attitudes towards the cost of living, 2024-25
- Price affects both consumer and operator margins
- Leisure consumers are seeking fun adventures…
- …and physical and mental upsides in their leisure activities
- Graph 12: factors influencing choice of leisure activity, 2023-25
- Competitive socialising is an area that continues to see growth in the leisure sector
- Graph 13: participation in selected competitive socialising activities over the last 12 months, 2025
- Novelty, spontaneity and convenience also play a role in leisure activities
- Graph 14: leisure behaviours, 2025
- Attractions are using technology to build immersive narratives
- Graph 15: attitudes towards use of technology in visitor attraction experiences, 2024
- Hybrid service solutions appeal to consumers of fast food restaurants
- Graph 16: preferred method of service in fast food outlets, 2025
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Participation in leisure and foodservice activities
- Use technology to help meet evolving service needs
- Graph 17: leisure activities undertaken in past 12 months, 2025
- Younger consumers drive leisure visiting across a range of activities
- Graph 18: leisure activities undertaken in past 12 months – NET, 2025
- Use of technology in foodservice settings
- Provide seamless upselling opportunities and personalisation with touchscreen ordering
- Graph 19: use of technology in foodservice settings, 2025
- Encourage seamless spending with one-tap wi-fi connection and wallet integration
- Graph 20: use of technology in foodservice settings, by generation, 2025
- Tap into higher-income earners with QR activations
- Wi-fi is a must-have to promote sharing and drive engagement
- Striking a balance of tech and in-person service will be key
- One unified loyalty app could make it simpler for consumers to engage with brands
- Gamify your app experience to encourage loyalty and interaction
- Graph 21: use of technology in foodservice settings, by generation, 2025
- The future of technology in  foodservice
- Personalisation and ultra-convenience will power foodservice experience
- Graph 22: attitudes towards technology in foodservice, 2025
- Younger consumers have warmed to the age of automation
- Personal service remains key to success with older consumers
- Automation and robotics will leverage IP for fun activations
- Digital tools will create novel and engaging foodservice environments
- Graph 23: attitudes towards technology in foodservice, 2025
- Develop technology to support children’s emotional and cognitive development
- Graph 24: attitudes towards use of AR in restaurants – NET, any agree, 2025
- Technology can deliver ultra-personalised foodservice experiences
- Graph 25: attitudes towards technology in foodservice, 2025
- Checkout-free will become commonplace in high-volume leisure destinations
- Leverage game-inspired dynamic pricing to engage value-seeking consumers
- The future of technology in leisure
- Experiential leisure will break new ground
- Graph 26: attitudes towards technology in leisure, 2025
- Interactions with technology will go from novelty to normal
- Competitive socialising will go up a notch with hyper-realistic sports simulators and online play
- Graph 27: attitudes towards virtual leisure sporting activities, by age and gender 2025
- Technology innovations in leisure settings
- Use technology to enhance the appeal of your leisure attraction
- Graph 28: interest in technological leisure concepts, 2025
- Younger consumers are willing to trade off personal information for enhanced service
- Demographic differentiation across technology innovations in leisure settings
- Cutting-edge technology appeals to households seeking novel experiences
- Holographic technology will bring film characters to life, for fun promotional activations
- Attitudes towards technology in leisure and foodservice
- Deliver proactive convenience to help consumers maximise their enjoyment
- Graph 29: attitudes towards technology in leisure and foodservice, 2025
- Promote the sense of the intense to resonate with consumers in leisure and foodservice
- Sensory stimulation can create long-lasting memories and drive perception of higher-quality experiences
- Technology must solve a problem for it to add to your experience
- Graph 30: attitudes towards technology in leisure setting by gender and generation, 2025
- Balance the trade-off of convenience with personal service
- Graph 31: attitudes towards touchscreen technology in restaurants, 2025
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation in foodservice
- KFC aims to leverage AI in ordering and service
- Automation can bring efficiencies to large-scale operations
- Casual spaces look to boost digital ordering capabilities
- Self-service systems can optimise footfall in busy venues like stadiums
- Pubs leverage AI for enhanced personalisation
- Launch activity and innovation in the health space
- Gyms look to AI and digital tools for member support
- Nation’s PE teacher goes for animated workout series
- Launch activity and innovation in leisure and foodservice settings
- Brands lean into sensory stimulus for premium restaurant experiences
- Chinese restaurant service concept is out of this world
- Checkout-free stores for frictionless POS activations
- SPYSCAPE blends entertainment with interactive experiences to unleash consumers’ inner spy traits
- COSM unleashes immersive tech to power the shared experience
- Leisure spaces that cater to consumers’ craving novelty
- TOCA Social opens interactive football and dining experience in Westfield
- Inspiration: technology in leisure settings internationally
- Universal unveils plans for theme park, while Merlin delivers the thrills
- Technology helps consumers engage with different musical eras
- Squid Game attraction comes to Immerse LDN
- Polygon pushes the boundaries of immersive festival experience
- Visitor attractions use technology to add another dimension to exhibits
- Fusion of live theatre and technology binds the physical and digital leisure experience
- Samsung goes for hands-on experience on London’s Outernet
- Convergence of technologies will power immersive lifelike interactions
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
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