Every January, millions of guests reset their habits: they count calories, avoid allergens, try new diets, and look for restaurants that meet them where they are. This “resolution mindset” isn’t a trend, it’s one of the biggest seasonal revenue opportunities for restaurants, and we've seen this proven year after year at EveryBite
As we move into 2026, there's a groundswell forming with modern diners interacting with your brand. They are coming into the New Year with AI in their mind and on their fingertips. They expect personalized, digital guidance that helps them hit their goals without sacrificing flavor or convenience.
The Resolution Diner Is Ready to Spend. Here’s the Proof:
Across our 7M+ consumers and 7,500+ restaurant locations, SmartMenu has shown:
219% growth in conversions when guests interact with SmartMenu
344% more revenue from SmartMenu-engaged guests
20+ dishes explored per guest on average
$3.8M+ in attempted spend captured from dietary-preference searches
250K+ engaged guests every single month
Your customers aren’t just browsing. They’re showing you what they want, what they avoid, and what they’re ready to purchase; if you are using SmartMenu, that is. (PDF menus will never give you that data). More details coming later this week on some new partnership opportunities surrounding PDF's and menu conversion!
Why Does All This Matter You Say?
SmartMenus data shows clear seasonal buying patterns: January brings surges in gluten-free and vegan searches as guests embrace wellness goals, spring and summer spike with high-protein and low-carb orders tied to fitness trends, and fall and winter usher in comfort food cravings, often with allergen or family-safe twists.
For restaurants, this isn’t just a pattern, it’s a profit cycle. Seasonal search trends translate to 20–30% lifts in menu engagement, creating powerful opportunities to align menu highlights, LTOs, and promotions with what guests are already seeking. Operators who adapt their digital menus quarterly, refreshing featured dishes, updating filters, and surfacing timely nutrition or allergen tags consistently see stronger conversion rates and higher marketing ROI.
By adapting menus to the rhythm of diners’ resolutions, cravings, and comfort cycles, brands turn seasonal behavior into a year-round growth engine. From January 2025 to March 2025 we saw guests respond by:
Actively search for dishes that fit their goals
Spending more time researching ingredients and allergens
Visiting restaurants that make it easy to stay on track
Trying new menu items that meet their preferences
If your menu doesn’t personalize to those goals, you’re missing the moment. And revenue. And I can tell you from the millions of data points and menu searches, if your competitors have a SmartMenu, they’ll win those visits, that loyalty and that revenue.
Personalization = Revenue (Not Just Compliance)
SmartMenu gives operators a system to:
1. Capture the $133B Dietary Preference Market
This audience is bigger than the populations of Canada + Italy combined, and they choose restaurants based on menu transparency and the ability to personalize.
2. Increase AOV and Check Conversion
When guests find meals that fit their diets, they buy more, and return more often.
3. Monetize Dietary Preferences & Allergens
This is no longer a compliance box. It’s a marketing engine that drives traffic, loyalty, and incremental purchases.
4. Unlock New Guest Insights Your Restaurant Has Never Seen
SmartMenu generates ingredient, allergen, and preference data that operators simply don’t have today but desperately need to compete in 2026.
SmartMenu transforms your existing menu into a dynamic, personalized shopping experience, capturing guest intent and guiding guests to the dishes that fit their goals: ✔️ High-protein ✔️ Low-calorie ✔️ Allergen-safe ✔️ Vegan/vegetarian ✔️ Keto, gluten-free, and more
Your New Year action plan
To win the Resolution Diner and maximize Q1 revenue I suggest you:
Personalize your digital menu experience with SmartMenu (reach out to me today!)
Highlight high-intent pathways (protein, low-calorie, gluten-free, allergens, etc.)
Use the data: track trending diets, ingredients, and allergens, we send out monthly reports and actionable trends
Promote your “Better Choices Made Easy” positioning across ordering channels like our partner Olo
Make your menu the easiest part of their New Year reset, and they’ll reward you with loyalty all year long.
Activate your New Year SmartMenu Today!
DM me to get your menu converted for free for the first 100 brands as part of our New Year personalization initiative.
Let’s make 2026 the year menu's finally work smarter for you and your guests. More coming this week, so watch this space!
Lucy