The Kitchen Barometer 2026 is a data-driven study by RATIONAL and Statista examining the current state of restaurant and hotel kitchens, with a particular focus on costs, sustainability, skills shortages, quality assurance, and digitalisation.
250 decision-makers from restaurant and hotel kitchens in five markets (Germany, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the USA) were surveyed.
The study analyses five topic areas: operating costs, sustainability, skills shortages, quality assurance and digitalisation.
Respondents most often expect rising energy prices (67%), followed by inflation or a generally rising price level (63%) and a lack of skilled workers (59%).
Globally, respondents most frequently reported a sharp increase in the cost of food/commodities (56%) and energy (52%); Many also mention packaging/logistics (50%) and personnel costs (44%).
For 67% of respondents, sustainability is either central or important. In addition, 62% of respondents report an increased demand from guests for sustainable products and processes.
Of kitchens that prioritise sustainability, 87% focus on reducing food waste, 84% on disposal/recycling and 83% on regional/seasonal products.
64% of kitchen operators report that the shortage of skilled workers has had a significant impact in the last 12 months. The most common consequences: higher workload (57%), and longer waiting times for guests (39%).
The most frequently implemented measure was employee retention (50%). Other approaches include the optimisation of kitchen logistics/layout (34%) and recruitment measures (32%).
The most common measures are quality checklists/internal audits (61%) and training courses at headquarters (61%). In addition, 52% rely on multifunctional/intelligent kitchen technology to standardise processes.
Almost all respondents (98%) use digital systems in some form. At the same time, only 35% are fully networked, 46% are partially networked and 17% work mainly with individual solutions.
Those most often mentioned are digital ordering & POS systems (48%), digital shift/personnel planning (43%) as well as kitchen management/production control (34%) and digital recipe standardisation (34%).
Among users, 86% report substantial benefits from kitchen management/production control, and 85% report benefits from automated inventory/warehouse management.
Planned investments are particularly frequent: Modernisation of kitchen technology (78%), Training & Development (77%), extended food safety measures (76%) and energy-efficient equipment (75%).