SpotOn, a leading software and payments partner for restaurants and small businesses, has officially published results from its 2025 Restaurant Business Report, which goes on to shed light upon the financial challenges that restaurant operators face, as well as the opportunities to strengthen their businesses.
More on that would reveal how SpotOn worked alongside Penta to conduct a nationwide survey of 200 independent and chain restaurant operators. This it did to better understand the state of financial literacy among US operators across major markets including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, Miami, Denver, and Detroit.
Talk about the achieved results on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the reality of rising economic pressures. You see, almost 93% of operators reported concerns about the impact rising interest rates can have on their business. Nearly 1 in 3 were also found to be worried regarding financial stability during 2025, with independent operators under the most burden.
Next up, SpotOn discovered the need for a complete overhaul in the case of financial systems. We get to say so because, even though 99% of operators agree that strong financial management is critical, 84% say their current systems need improvement, and nearly half admit they should spend more time on financial tracking but struggle to do so.
Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in the presence of those data gaps that continue to hinder pricing strategies. Here, a contingent of almost 73% operators was found to lack full confidence in their pricing strategy. In fact, most respondents said they would just rely on gut instinct or competitor pricing instead of real-time cost analysis.
Moving on, SpotOn’s exercise would also go on to expose a lack of optimal access to capital, as 66% of operators presently anticipate needing more funding in 2025. Having said so, fewer than 12% have explored POS-based lending, despite its potential to provide faster, more flexible capital.
“Restaurant operators are some of the most resilient and resourceful business owners out there,” said Kevin Bryla, Chief Marketing Officer of SpotOn. “This report isn’t just about identifying challenges—it’s about uncovering opportunities and leveling the playing field for independent restaurants. We as industry partners must provide better financial reporting and easier access to financial insights, enabling operators to navigate uncertainty with confidence while delivering incredible guest experiences.”
Alongside this data, SpotOn also took the opportunity to share some suggestions that restaurants can use to strengthen their financial future.
These suggestions begin from leveraging real-time financial reporting and automation to spend less time tracking numbers and more time running their business. Here, a solution like SpotOn’s Restaurant POS system can come in handy because of its ability to provide operators with the insights they need and when they need them.
The next suggestion in line would be of streamlining financial management, something which restaurants can achieve by integrating financial systems with payroll and accounting software to reduce administrative burdens, and therefore, enable operators to focus on profitability. For the said objective, they can also bank upon SpotOn’s top-tier integrations that are known for streamlining processes like payroll preparation.
Joining that would be a recommendation to turn pricing into a growth strategy. This involves practicing a smarter approach around menu pricing to boost revenue and profitability without compromising guest experience. Again, SpotOn integrations with inventory partners like MarginEdge and Craftable can help operators fine-tune their pricing strategy in a way that accounts for costs while still appealing to consumers.
Rounding up highlights would be a call to explore easier access of capital through POS-based lending solutions like SpotOn Capital that can give operators quick access to working capital and help them invest in their business without the lengthy approval process.
