Tech, trends, and tacos: A deep dive into modern QSR

From AI drive-thrus to experiential marketing inspired by the beauty world, what QSR industry trends are we seeing in 2025? 

Right now, the QSR industry is experimenting with AI across its menus, apps and at the drive-thru with some trial runs seeing more success than others — like that one McDonald’s AI drive-thru that went viral on TikTok after it mistakenly added over 260 McNuggets to an order. 

The industry is also looking to meet consumers' demands for healthier food options and eco-friendly practices. While in-app ordering and personalization continues to grow sales and revenue across the industry. 

In this post, I’ll look at QSR industry trends for the year ahead — from QSR technology trends to the latest in QSR advertising.

Let’s take a look at some of the main QSR industry trends happening right now. 

AI technology trends

First, the biggest AI technology trends in the industry. 

Robotics 

AI-powered robotics are becoming more and more popular across the QSR industry — helping businesses’ better manage the costs of manual labor, address rising labor shortages and save time through automation. 

Robots are continuing to help support the food industry with cooking, prepping, packaging and serving food throughout 2025. Take fast-food robot Flippy that can efficiently flip burgers faster than its human counterparts: 

Franchises like Chipotle and Cali Express are experimenting with robotic servers, dispensers and grillers. FutureBridge reports that up to 80% of tasks in the industry can potentially be performed by robots, resulting in 30-70% cost savings. 

In particular, robotic servers are on the rise. According to research by Arizton, the robot waiter market is set to hit $1.97 billion by 2028 with a CAGR of 8.7% from 2024-2031. 

They note that cameras, advanced sensors and AI capabilities enable robots to take orders, deliver and serve food, and interact with customers; helping to support busy restaurants in a cost-effective way. 

Despite their rise in popularity, some critics argue that the heart of customer service is the human experience and predict that consumers will reject robo servers in favor of human ones. Interestingly, the research doesn't back this prediction. Meghan McCarron, writing for The New York Times, shares:  

"Professor Giebelhausen has found, for example, that consumers prefer human chefs to robot ones, in part because they believe that humans cook with love. In a paper currently under review, he and his co-authors found that if consumers had a friendly text chat with the robot, that preference faded. 'The crux is, if you feel the robot loves you,' he said, 'you allow the robot to cook with love.'"

Personalized menus 

With the ability to collect, analyze and learn from extensive amounts of customer data — AI has made it easier to deliver personalized consumer experiences across different industries. 

And many fast food companies are now looking to AI to help personalize customer menus, dishes and ways of ordering — helping to meet consumer demands with 81% of consumers saying they prefer companies that offer a personalized experience. 

AI algorithms can offer personalized suggestions based on a customer’s past orders, dietary needs and restrictions, fitness and health goals and taste preferences. 

McDonald’s are ahead of this trend; rolling out a personalized mobile app, self-order kiosks and using AI-based personalization platform Dynamic Yield. Dynamic Yield uses artificial intelligence to collect customer data at drive-thrus to offer personalized meal suggestions based on data such as consumers' order history, time of day and the weather.

IHOP has also been taking AI’s personalization capabilities online. By adding Recommendations AI, an AI tool that makes personalized order recommendations via an online ordering system, IHOP found that the AI-based software could recommend the right order suggestions 90% of the time – bringing in 20% more money via online orders. 

AI drive-thrus 

Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and White Castle are all experimenting with AI drive-thrus. With AI-based voice recognition and natural language processing, AI can easily understand customers and respond to their order requests.  

Right now, fast food giants are trialing the tech to see how it performs in terms of efficiency, cost savings and customer satisfaction.

SoundHound reports that AI can speed up drive-thru lanes by roughly 10% by processing orders faster than human beings. Fast-food companies can also use AI to try to upsell customers on their orders — improving a restaurant's average order size.

However, the tech is still in its early stages and the current flaws in the system have been shared across TikTok and other social media channels — such as the viral video of two friends laughing uncontrollably as McDonald’s AI drive-thru adds over 260 McNuggets to their order. 

Despite these glitches, T.D. Cowen analyst Andrew Charles believes that the tipping point for voice ordering should happen over the next several months. He says: 

“It’s like third-party delivery a few years ago: Everyone was testing it, then when McDonald’s went with Uber, everyone else followed with their own partnerships.”

Dynamic pricing 

Many fast food franchises are also looking to use AI to automatically adjust menu pricing — adjusting prices based on a range of factors such as low demand. The latest data shows that digital menu boards can potentially improve sales by up to 38%. 

Wendy’s recently trialed AI-based menu boards to experiment with dynamic pricing, adjusting the cost of menu items based on slower times of day — hoping to improve sales with suggestion selling approaches. 

While the initial announcements were met with consumer criticism, with consumers worried about price hikes and unpredictable prices, Wendy’s quickly clarified that the plans would mean customers could bag discounts during quieter times of day. 

According to CEO Kirk Tanner, Wendy’s plans to invest in $20 million in responsive menu boards throughout the U.S. 

Guardian writer Chris Michael, relates fast food's new dynamic pricing strategy to the surge pricing used by companies like Uber: "Surge pricing is famously – and controversially – already employed by ride-share companies such as Uber, which changes the price of a ride depending on factors such as the supply of drivers, demand of customers, and factors such as rain that affect both. Gas stations also change prices frequently to reflect demand, as do airlines, and Ticketmaster is among the concert ticket providers that adapt changeable prices."

Read on for a run down of the latest in marketing and advertising trends in QSR in 2025. 

Experiential marketing 

91% of consumers say that experiential marketing makes them more likely to buy from a company. 

Taking inspiration from the beauty world, McDonald’s rolled out their very own dupe in autumn of last year: the limited-edition Chicken Big Mac. To serve up their beefy rip-off, they opened a pop-up restaurant in L.A. called “McDonnell’s.”

Burger King U.K. combines the digital and the physical to create an immersive experience for consumers with gamified prizes. As a reward for downloading the Burger King app, students received an oversized physical card they could flip — seeing if they could score a Whopper on the other side of the card. Winners could pick up their free burger in store. And if they didn't win? Students could collect the iconic Burger King crowns and branded keep cups in store instead. 

And the immersive marketing trend is set to continue throughout the year ahead with a focus on community centric, micro-marketing experiences custom designed for locals such as: 

• Neighborhood pop-ups

• Small-scale festivals 

• Art installations tailored to the local community 

• Events that involve local farmers and other food producers 

Interactive ads 

Gamified ads, ads that draw on technique and elements from the game industry, are on the rise in 2025. Fun, gamified campaign elements result in a 100%-150% jump in user engagement compared to traditional marketing methods. 

Across the fast food industry, franchises are using a range of gamified advertising and marketing approaches from daily streaks to video-game style in-app games. 

McDonald's Monopoly is a classic example of gamification that's still driving sales in 2025. 

Running since 1987, customers can collect game pieces with every menu purchase — they can collect a full set of game pieces or trade in single pieces for instant prizes. Customers can also track and store these wins in the McDonald's app and rack up more prizes with a digital revamp of the game. 

Reilly Newman, founder of Motif Brands says: “Gamification has an impact on behavior due to the reward it gives the user in the immediate. This also leans into cognitive biases that change our behaviors accordingly, like our need to be consistent and keep streaks."

As a notable example of how video games can do great things for a new QSR product promo, to help create buzz around their new Ebi Shrimp puri order, KFC Japan teamed up with Gamify to create a game for the new campaign in which Ebi shrimp try to take over the world of KFC from fried chicken, with consumers playing to defend the KFC castle. Those that succeeded scored discounted voucher rewards on KFC’s new product. The game racked up over 854+ plays and had a 91% engagement rate. 

Personalized campaigns 

AI is also being used by franchises to better personalize marketing campaigns. 

Joe Park, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Yum! Brands, told the Wall Street Journal that brands like Pizza Hut and KFC are currently using AI to more effectively personalize email campaigns; from days of the week to email content and subject lines. 

He says, “We know our Pizza Hut consumers have different frequency and timing of orders. Some consumers will order every few weeks and love exploring our menus while others wait for special occasions like the Super Bowl and typically have large orders.”

Harry Hanson-Smith, Regional Vice President at Dynamic Yield by Mastercard talks about how the most successful chains are delivering a personalized experience across online and offline channels — with customers seeing little differentiation between brand experiences; whether they're scrolling a brand's Instagram page or ordering a burger from their drive-thru. He notes: 

"Customers experience a brand in one way – they don’t see it as ‘online’ or ‘in-store.’ The opportunity for fast food restaurants, therefore, is to not only imbue each channel’s unique features with personalisation, but also use them to connect and inform subsequent experiences across channels. Fast food establishments can leverage cross-channel data to deliver a cohesive, omnichannel customer journey—one where the user’s drive-thru order impacts the experience, content, and messaging they see the next time they open the mobile app and vice versa."

Want more fast-food advertising insights? Read up in our post on the power of products in fast food advertising. 

Mobile ordering and loyalty programs

Mobile orders continue to be big in the QSR space, following the widespread use of apps to make orders during the pandemic — a habit consumers’ have never gone back on. 

71% of consumers say they’ve made a mobile food order. While 68% say they make food orders online because of convenience. 

And 30% of consumers have between five and eight QSR apps on their phones. 

QSRs are also taking AI and machine learning to the apps — using customer data and AI-based data analytics to personalize rewards and menu suggestions. 

Time-sensitive discounts based on in-app behaviors, meal suggestions based on past buys and personalized bonuses are all ways QSRs are using AI to enhance customers’ in-app experiences, increase sales and support customer loyalty. 

PAR OPS reports: 

“Loyalty programs, such as PAR Punchh, integrated into these apps offer personalized rewards based on purchasing history, further enhancing customer engagement. Plus, the data collected through digital platforms provides valuable insights into customer behavior, enabling QSRs to refine their offerings and marketing strategies.”

Eco-conscious moves 

KerryDigest reports, "58% of consumers in North America say they are strongly influenced by sustainability when making a food or beverage purchase at a restaurant."

In response to mounting consumer demands, QSRs are heading into 2025 with notable sustainability goals. Take Burger King — the franchise has a net-zero emissions target by the end of 2050. 

In particular, sustainable packaging is a big draw for eco-conscious consumers. McKinsey and Company report that 60–70% of consumers say they'd pay more for sustainable packaging.

McDonald's have dedicated themselves to using 100% renewable and recycled packaging by 2025.

Kadence also notes a huge move towards sustainable sources:

"Sustainable sourcing is an indispensable pivot towards reducing the environmental footprint of QSR operations. By aligning procurement practices with sustainability principles, QSRs can significantly curb their greenhouse gas emissions, reduce waste, and foster a more responsible consumption ethos."

Experimental flavors

In 2025, more and more consumers are looking for adventurous flavor profiles.  

1 in 3 global consumers say they are intrigued by new and unique flavors. 

Trending adventurous flavors include maple, hot honey, spicy and pickle. 

QSR notes that in 2025, companies are looking to bring a new twist to nostalgic favorites: "Traditional flavors like strawberry lemonade, ginger, and cinnamon are being reimagined, bridging gaps between memory and discovery. For example, strawberry lemonade, a classic staple, anchors a $15 billion lemonade market projected to grow significantly by 2032. These flavors are no longer static; they’ve been elevated."

Consumers are also interested in restaurants delivering more interesting flavor combos such as products that combine sweet and spicy (dubbed “swicy”).

KFC has recently teamed up with Mike's Hot Honey to offer limited-edition hot-honey menu items including fried chicken, chicken tenders and nuggets. 

Taco Bell has rolled out a new Ube Strawberry Cookie, filled with purple-hued vanilla ube cream and strawberry pieces, along with a selection of other fresh test kitchen items. 

Innova's research suggests that the QSR industry will also be taking consumers' desires for more adventurous flavors into other branded consumer goods, deepening their brand appeal. They predict, "A steady trickle of food and beverage flavors migrating into non-food sectors such as beauty, personal care and household. 

One example is KFC Spain’s idea to turn an iconic spice blend into a limited-edition cologne called Eau D’Uardo. The cologne is described as “an irresistible fragrance with juicy pepper notes, inspired by KFC’s best-kept secret. The cologne features essences of geranium, tangerine, bergamot and a hint of pink pepper. It is described as fresh, evocative and unforgettable."

Health-conscious menus 

50% of Americans say they try to eat healthily with 70% saying they want to be healthier. However, a quarter of Americans say they have no time to cook healthy food and 20% say they don't have the knowledge or skills they need to make healthy dishes. 

Consumers typically define healthy eating habits as those that involve them cutting back on sugar, processed foods, fat, salt and red meat. 

While this is typically the opposite of the kinds of foods served up in the QSR industry, with a focus on taste rather than nutrition, more and more companies are cultivating and selling healthy (or at least healthier) products.

Dr Monique Tan, a lecturer in public health nutrition at Queen Mary University of London, says:

“What we eat when we’re outside of home is completely dependent on what’s available and what’s affordable. The problem is that a lot of the food is not healthy.” 

Other consumers say they want food that’s low in additives, preservatives and other artificial ingredients — with consumers preferring short ingredient lists full of wholesome, “natural” ingredients. 

Of note, there’s been a rise in the number of plant-based options on menus. 

Plant-based alternatives have increased by 62% in the last 10 years with 48% of US restaurants now offering plant-based options. Since 2012, plant-based alternatives on menus have risen by 62%. 

McDonald's France is serving up Veggie McPlant nuggets made from Beyond Meat in over 1,560 of its restaurants. 

This trend intersects with other trends above, particularly the rise of orders via apps and websites, Future Market Insights Inc reports:

“The market of healthy takeout is rapidly evolving as online platforms gain popularity among people who want to eat at home but still want restaurant-quality food. As a result, the market growth will be fueled by rising demand for healthy takeout over the forecast period.

The market services pertaining to healthy takeout are driven by the rapid increase in smartphone users and internet connectivity in major developing regions. Phone calls, online websites, and mobile apps are all used to place healthy takeout orders on smartphones which surges adoption trends of healthy takeout.”

From hit-and-miss experiments in AI to rolling out adventurous flavor combos, 2025 is already turning out to be a year of experimentation for the QSR industry. Over the next few months, I’m curious to see whether franchises' AI drive-thrus will resolve their glitches and win over consumers, whether consumer opinion will change on AI-based dynamic pricing and which new flavor combos will show up on menus next. 

Find out how you can make your QSR menu, packaging and products win with consumers with our innovation research system that supports you to iterate at speed, find and refine your best ideas through consumer research and get better as you go.