Sugar Foods - Turn Up the Beets Crispy Beets - skyscraper - both - 05.18

Rich's Plant Based Cooking Creme - skyscraper - both - 02.18

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Dress Your Table for Success - banner - both - 04.18

Certified Cage-Free Egg Bites - Portable, Protein-Packed Breakfast - banner - both - 09.23

Campbells Pacific Rose Chai Pistachio Milk - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - banner - both - 01.20

Nestle - Hot Cocoa Single-Serve Packets - banner - both - 09.21

Rich's Plant Based and Gluten Free Crusts - skyscraper - both - 07.18

Seafood is Better - skyscraper - both - 05.21

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Dress Your Table for Success - skyscraper - both - 04.18

Nestle Vitality - Build a Refreshing Beverage Program - banner - both - 04.20

Empress 5-Compartment School Food Tray - 05.22

Tyson - Jimmy Dean - Loaded with Flavor - banner - both - 04.21

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Beautiful Inside and Out - skyscraper - both - 04.18

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Customize Creamy Comfort - skyscraper - both - 04.19

Reel in Greater Appeal - both - banner - 10.22

Campbells Culinary Reserve Thai Curry - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - banner - both - 03.23

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Now Serving Flame-Seared Perfection - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Simplot Pineapple Perfected - RoastWorks - banner - both - 08.20

Find Fresh Inspiration - skyscraper - both - 08.22

Cooper Shreds Have Now Arrived - banner - 02.24

Indiana Packers - All-in-One Pork Supplier - skyscraper - both - 07.21

Campbells Culinary Reserve Jerk Chicken - both - banner - 02.26

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Mac Pizza - skyscraper - both - 04.19

Reel in Greater Appeal - skyscraper - both - 10.22

Skyscraper Ad - MM -  Beat - Operator

Skyscraper Ad - MM - Cook - Operator

Nestle Stouffer's Comfort Foods Beyond Compare - video - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Customize Creamy Comfort - banner - both - 04.19

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt skyscraper - both - 04.23

Indiana Packers - All-in-One Pork Supplier - banner - both - 07.21

Cargill - Truvia Serve America's Best-Selling Stevia Sweetener - skyscraper - both - 03.19

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Don't Labor Over Great Chicken - banner - both - 02.20

McCain - Takeout and Delivery Menu Ideas - banner - both - 05.20

Banner Ad - 1 - MM - Recipes - Operator - supersized

Nestle Stouffer White Mac and Cheese - banner - both - 08.18

Jennie-O No Basic Burger Here - banner - both - 03.20

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Less Time Less Grease Less Mess - banner - both - 02.20

Sugar Foods ecoStick Dispensers Beverage Station - skyscraper - both -10.16

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt banner with chef - both - 04.23

Basic American Crispy Craveable Operator banner ad - 12.17

Mini Cinnamon Swirl French Toast - banner - both - 09.23

Simplot GoodGrains - banner - both - 01.20

Nestle Stouffers White Cheddar Mac and Cheese - skyscraper - both - 08.18

Jennie-O Premium Turkey Breast Turkey that Turns Up the Quality - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Chef-mate We Can Better - skyscraper - both - 06.23

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Full Case of Bacon No Grease - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Nestle - Every Season is Pumpkin Season - skyscraper - both - 08.18

Sugar Foods Barista Blend - banner - both - 04.17

La Ranchera Birria Base - both - 09.24

Check Out the Major Products Product Guide - skyscraper - OE - 03.22

Wild Alaska Salmon Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

Indiana Packers - Vertical Integration - skyscraper - both - 07.21

Performance Dairy Convenience and Consistency - banner - both - 04.24

Honest Earth - Better Potatoes for a Better World - skyscraper - both - 05.23

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - skyscraper - both - 04.20

Performance Dairy Craveable Flavor and Time Savings - banner - both - 04.24

General Mills - Pillsbury Takeout and Delivery Tips - skyscraper - both - 04.20

Savor Imports - banner - both - 06.24

Rich's Plant Based and Gluten Free Crusts - banner - both - 07.18

Breakfast Anytime - OE - banner - 01.26 - 04.26.26

Campbells Masterbrand SnackCore Chips and Pretzels - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Catch of the Season - skyscraper - both - 07.22

Butterball - Your Trusted Partner - skyscraper - both - 07.19

Campbells Culinary Reserve Jerk Chicken - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Campbells Masterbrand SnackCore Chips and Pretzels - 2 - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Dixie Ultra Surface Systems - skyscraper - both - 02.23

Hormel - Bacon 1 - You've Never Seen Bacon Like This - banner - both - 02.20

Simplot RoastWorks - banner - both - 01.20

Simplot Harvest Fresh Avocado - banner - both - 01.20

Cargill - Truvia Serve Americas Best Selling Stevia Sweetener - banner - both - 03.19

Shrimp that Brings the Big Picture - skyscraper - both - 11.22

Butterball - Quality, Versatility, and Consistency - banner - both - 07.19

Performance Plus Food Safety - skyscraper - both - 09.21

Fabri-Kal - Packaging solutions for environmental and off-premise needs - banner - both - 11.19

Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - banner - both - 08.25

Simplot Delivery Solved - Conquest Fries - banner - both - 08.20

Breakfast Anytime - OE - skyscraper - 01.26 - 04.26.26

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - banner - both - 03.19

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - banner - both - 04.20

Hormel - Fontanini - Handcrafted Family Recipes - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Rich's Plant-Based - Good Things Grow - skyscraper - both - 11.20

Campbells Culinary Reserve Thai Curry - both - banner - 02.26

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - skyscraper - both - 03.19

Kraft - Bold Flavor, New Home. - skycraper - both - 08.22

Simply Potatoes Low Sodium Mashed Potatoes - skyscraper - both - 09.23

Sugar Foods - Turn Up the Beets Crispy Beets - banner - both - 05.18

Dixie Ultra Surface Systems - banner - both - 02.23

Simplot - Pineapple Perfected - RoastWorks - skyscraper - both - 08.20

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Ease Your Operator's Kitchen - banner - both - 02.20

Fabri-Kal - Packaging solutions for environmental and off-premise needs - skyscraper - both - 11.19

Campbells Masterbrand SnackCore Snyders Pieces - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Campbells V8 Peach Mango and Pomegranate Blueberry - both - skycraper - 02.26

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Jennie-O Take Burgers Over the Top with Turkey - skyscraper - both - 03.20

Sugar Foods Barista Blend - skyscraper - both - 04.17

Sugar Food Traina California Dried Fruits - banner - OE - 10.19

A Family of Fine Cheeses - skyscraper - both - 08.22

Marketing is the top area where automation is being used, followed by administrative tasks, according to a National Restaurant Association report.
Dive Brief:
<ul>
<li>Twenty-six percent of restaurant operators say they are using artificial intelligence-related tools at their restaurants, according to the National Restaurant Association&rsquo;s State of the Restaurant Industry 2026 report released in February.</li>
<li>Marketing is the top area where AI tools are being used: 19% of full-service operators and 15% of limited-service operators said they use AI to assist with marketing. Ten percent of operators are using a version of the technology for at least some administrative tasks.</li>
<li>While many chains are <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/wendys-deploy-digital-menu-boards-drive-thru-ai-500-restaurants-2025/746977/" target="_blank">adopting or testing drive-thru voice automation</a>, only 6% of restaurants are using AI for customer orders.</li>
</ul>
Dive Insight:
Despite the lack of adoption of AI for ordering, customers are increasingly comfortable using technology like smartphones, websites, kiosks and tablets at the table to order from a restaurant, according to the report. Roughly six in 10 millennials and Gen Z adults said they would place an order with an AI-generated bot. A majority of Gen Z adults said they are also open to food delivery by robots or drones.
Operators will continue to invest in technology as it has become an &ldquo;essential asset,&rdquo; as they face increased operational costs and constrained consumer spending, according to the NRA.
&ldquo;[Technology&rsquo;s] strategic application is transforming the industry &mdash; making operations faster, smarter, and more agile than ever before. In an economy where food and labor costs are rising steadily, breakthrough efficiencies could make the difference between struggling and staying profitable,&rdquo; the association wrote in its report.
A majority, 60%, of operators said their technology use is roughly in line with competitors, while 12% say their technology is at the leading edge. The remaining 28% said their technology use is lagging, which could pressure them to adopt new solutions, as a wide majority of operators say technology provides a competitive advantage.
Six in 10 operators say they plan to invest more in technology to enhance the customer experience, per the NRA. Over half said they will invest in equipment or technology that can help productivity and efficiency within the front of house, while just under half said they would use tech for the back of house.
One of the biggest players at the forefront of tech adoption is Yum Brands, <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/yum-brands-integrates-taco-bell-kfc-pizza-hut-tech-in-ai-backed-platform/739398/" target="_blank">which launched its integrated tech platform called Byte last year</a>. That tech stack includes kitchen management and point of sales systems, as well as some artificial intelligence tools. Last year, <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/yum-brands-nvidia-ai-taco-bell-pizza-hut-kfc-deal/742926/" target="_blank">Yum partnered with Nvidia</a> to develop AI assets for the drive-thru, call center voice and computer vision, among other tools. Taco Bell began the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/taco-bell-expands-drive-thru-artificial-intelligence-hundreds-US-units/722874/" target="_blank">adoption of drive-thru voice AI</a> across the U.S in 2024, but had to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/taco-bell-rethinks-future-of-voice-ai-at-the-drive-through-72990b5a?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqd5f0i-O33rBVN5HooVhzZYgQshdwNfwJRgpJ95sNnok02G4gaMWvjGGdnEGNI%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6995c929&amp;gaa_sig=TEk5eceMSyQAMyXeKR5HloG4U3G0rv_r1d_ULQB3YfdO0UJM5IHzvbylrvAI6LxgwLTgu5jXAUDNxxFsMIM7ww%3D%3D" target="_blank">rethink adoption last year</a> after inconsistent performance, according to The Wall Street Journal.
McDonald&rsquo;s has also indicated that it <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/mcdonalds-plans-double-down-ai-investment-by-2027-executive-says-2025-08-01/" target="_blank">plans to use more artificial intelligence</a> across its system in the near future. It used <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/mcdonalds-ibm-drive-thru-automation-voice-ordering-ai/719085/" target="_blank">voice AI at the drive-thru</a> through a partnership with IBM, but that partnership ended in 2024 after three years.
Source: Julie Littman, <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/national-restaurant-assocation-operator-artificial-intelligence-adoption/" target="_blank">Restaurant Drive</a>

Marketing is the top area where automation is being used, followed by administrative tasks, according to a National Restaurant Association report.

NRA: Over 25% of Restaurant Operators Use AI

Foodservice operators heading into 2026 face two familiar pressures: volatile ingredient costs and unpredictable demand. Under these conditions, food cost control - once a margin buffer - is now a core survival strategy. One of the simplest, highest-ROI tools available is also one of the most overlooked: portion control through pre-portioning.
Across the U.S. food system, wasted food represents a large and persistent financial drain. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an estimated 66 million tons of wasted food were generated in 2019 across retail, foodservice, and households, making food the largest category of material landfilled nationwide.&sup1; A growing body of research also confirms that significant waste originates in foodservice operations due to overproduction, improper portioning, and inconsistent execution.&sup2;
A widely cited national study led by the nonprofit ReFED (Rethink Foodwaste through Economics and Data) places the annual economic cost of wasted food in the United States at approximately $473 billion, including the value of wasted ingredients, labor, energy, and disposal.&sup3; Because restaurants operate on the thinnest margins in the system, any preventable loss (especially from portion drift) compounds quickly at scale.
Pre-portioning offers a low-tech, high-impact way to address those avoidable losses.
Why Pre-Portioning Works Financially
<ol>
<li> It Eliminates Portion Drift</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>Pre-portioning ensures that every 4 oz protein portion, every 2 oz sauce unit, and every garnishing component carries a predictable cost. This closes the costly gap between &ldquo;theoretical&rdquo; and &ldquo;actual&rdquo; food cost.</li>
</ul>
<ol start="2">
<li> It Supports SKU Control and Cross-Utilization</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>Standardized portions support accurate recipe costing and make usage patterns easier to track &mdash; a critical advantage as 2026 menus rely more heavily on cross-utilized ingredients.</li>
</ul>
<ol start="3">
<li> It Reduces Waste Before It Happens</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>Research consistently finds that preventing food waste upstream delivers the greatest financial return. A review of waste-reduction programs found that interventions focused on prevention generated an average of $14 in savings for every $1 invested.⁴ Pre-portioning is a textbook prevention strategy.</li>
</ul>
<ol start="4">
<li> It Improves Labor Efficiency</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>Portioning during prep removes cognitive load from line staff during service. This reduces over-portioning, speeds execution, and lowers training demands in a tight labor market.</li>
</ul>
Why Pre-Portioning Matters to the P&amp;L
Operators universally agree that portion control is important. The disconnect lies in execution. Under pressure, line cooks may default to &ldquo;safe&rdquo; over-portioning, especially on high-visibility items like proteins, cheese, and sauces.
Pre-portioning shifts the decision upstream:
<ul>
<li>Cost becomes a unit, not a guess. Each bag represents a fixed, known cost tied directly to menu engineering and forecasting.</li>
<li>Labor is repositioned, not added. Easily trained prep staff portion accurately during slower periods, reducing variability on the line.</li>
<li>Variance across shifts and locations decreases. Every plate begins from the same baseline, improving multi-unit consistency.</li>
</ul>
For operators, pre-portioning is a rare operational lever: low-cost, simple to implement, and directly tied to controllable food cost improvement.
Conclusion: Portion Control as Margin Protection
In a business defined by narrow margins, input cost pressure, and unpredictable demand, the value of portion control cannot be overstated. Pre-portioning brings portion discipline upstream, increases predictability, reduces waste, and protects margins with minimal capital expenditure.
For 2026, operators looking for a high-ROI approach to food cost control, one that scales from independent units to multi-unit operations, would be wise to make pre-portioning a core part of their back-of-house standard operating procedure.
Content courtesy of Handgards, Inc.
References:
&sup1;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/food-material-specific-data" target="_blank">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). </a><a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/food-material-specific-data" target="_blank">Food: Material-specific dat</a>a.&nbsp;
&sup2;Kaman, G.S., Bozkurt, İ., B&ouml;l&uuml;kbaş, R., &Ouml;zhasar, Y., Demirci, B., &amp; İrfan, Y. (2024). The Strategy Food Waste in Restaurants: A Systematic Literature Review. Trends in Food Science &amp; Technology.
&sup3;<a href="https://refed.org" target="_blank">ReFED. (2023). </a><a href="https://refed.org" target="_blank">Insights Engine: Food Waste Estimates &amp; Economic Impact</a>.&nbsp;
⁴<a href="https://www.wri.org/research/reducing-food-loss-and-waste-setting-global-action-agenda" target="_blank">World Resources Institute. (2017). </a><a href="https://www.wri.org/research/reducing-food-loss-and-waste-setting-global-action-agenda" target="_blank">Reducing food loss and waste: Setting a global action agenda</a>.&nbsp;

Turning Waste into Margin: Why pre-portioning bags work

The High-ROI Fix Operators Overlook: Pre-Portioning

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NRA: Over 25% of Restaurant Operators Use AI

The High-ROI Fix Operators Overlook: Pre-Portioning