US restaurant industry sees rise in worker satisfaction and solo dining

Recent data from restaurant technology company Toast indicates a significant increase in employee satisfaction within the US restaurant industry. A survey conducted in early 2026 shows that 67% of restaurant employees are satisfied or extremely satisfied with their pay, representing a 12-percentage-point increase from the previous year. Additionally, satisfaction with benefits rose by 16 points year-over-year, reaching 62%. This trend suggests that operators may be increasing compensation to address a shrinking workforce.

Parallel shifts are occurring in consumer behavior, with solo dining reservations seeing a sharp increase. Data from Toast shows a 22% jump in single-diner reservations for full-service restaurants in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year. OpenTable reported a similar 23% increase in solo bookings. Despite this growth, single diners still account for less than 1% of total reservations. OpenTable data also noted that solo diners spend an average of $94 per meal, a 7% increase year-over-year.