Basketball and hockey seasons are in mid-stream, with baseball and soccer on deck in 2025—each sport filling stadiums with fans eager for more than just the game.
While the humble hot dog will (and should) never go away, modern venues have embraced hometown hospitality and local flair—from unforgettable tacos in Texas to must-have Jambalaya and meat pies in New Orleans. Food can often take center stage, and to take things to the next level, stadium eateries can evolve to embrace modern-day technology to elevate the experience for fans even further.
Restaurants are already leading the way toward more innovation: a 2024 Toast survey¹ of 755 restaurant decision-makers found that 26 percent of those surveyed planned to adopt new technology to improve operations, a seven-point increase from the year prior. Stadium operators can follow suit by implementing similar tools to help streamline service, enhance offerings, and deliver a guest experience that keeps fans coming back.
Here’s how stadiums can use technology to elevate the fan experience:
Speeding up service with mobile ordering
In the digital era, faster service means happier customers for stadium operators. Mobile ordering is designed to be a speed-minded, revenue-enhancing game-changer for many restaurants, allowing customers to order and pay from their smartphones, reducing wait times and increasing satisfaction.
Stadiums can leverage this same technology to keep fans engaged in the event rather than waiting in long concession lines. Fans can order food from their seats, receive notifications when their order is ready, and even have it delivered by staff using handheld devices. Some venues have already integrated mobile ordering for premium areas, offering in-seat waiter service for top-tier ticket holders. This can combine convenience with an elevated dining experience designed to enhance satisfaction while reducing crowd congestion at concession stands.
Beyond concession stands, stadiums with in-venue sit-down eateries can benefit from adopting reservations and waitlist systems to improve the dining experience for fans seeking a more traditional restaurant-style experience. Like their counterparts in the restaurant industry, these eateries can prioritize efficiency and aim to turn more tables, and offer smooth operations while maximizing revenue.
Self-service kiosks: a lesson in consumer autonomy
Self-service kiosks have revolutionized the way quick-service restaurants operate. They can allow customers to control their ordering process, customize meals, and skip interactions with staff. Research suggests that customers using kiosks tend to spend 10 percent to 30 percent more per order than those who engage with restaurant employees, highlighting the potential for increased revenue.
Stadiums can capitalize on this trend by integrating self-service kiosks at concession stands, giving fans a fast, efficient, and customizable experience. Kiosks may not only reduce wait times but may also address labor shortages, a common issue in stadiums. By reducing staffing needs while maintaining high service standards, kiosks can help stadiums meet demand during peak times. These benefits are catching on in the college football world. For example, various universities added kiosk options to their stadium fan services for the 2024-2025 football season.
Mobile ordering can also help boost revenue when implemented thoughtfully. According to a 2023 Deloitte study, 82 percent of sports fans use mobile phones at live events, suggesting that syncing with consumer behavior is key.
However, mobile ordering may not gain traction in stadiums that don’t strategically encourage its use, as some fans may either prefer the traditional concession line experience or may not be tech-savvy enough to use digital tools. In other words, fan education and marketing matter.
Leveraging data: what fans want, when they want it
Data analytics has been a powerful tool in the restaurant industry, helping owners optimize operations and better serve customer preferences. Point-of-sale (POS) systems provide insights into what customers are ordering, when they’re ordering it, and how much they’re spending. Stadium eateries can apply the same principles.
Stadium food operators can make informed menu offerings, staffing, and inventory decisions by analyzing fan preferences and operational data. For instance, data may reveal certain menu items that are more popular during halftime or an increasing demand for healthier options. Using this information, operators may be able to adjust offerings and staffing in real time, helping fans get what they want without missing the action.
Innovating for the future of fan dining
As stadium operators look to the future, they can learn how restaurants successfully integrate technology to enhance the dining experience. Mobile ordering, self-service kiosks, and data-driven insights offer powerful tools for streamlining operations and elevating fan satisfaction. By embracing these technologies, stadiums can create an easy-to-use, efficient dining experience that keeps fans returning.
However, the human element should not be overlooked. While tech innovations like mobile ordering and kiosks enhance efficiency, they should be balanced with personal service, especially in premium areas where fans expect higher interaction. The key is finding the right mix of automation and human touch to meet diverse fan expectations.
Ultimately, the future of stadium dining lies in combining high-tech convenience with personalized service. By leveraging technology without losing the human connection, stadiums can create a memorable dining experience like a dramatic, high-stakes ballgame.
Kelly Esten is the Chief Marketing Officer at Toast.
1 To help better understand the restaurant industry, Toast conducted a blind survey of 755 restaurant decision-makers operating 16 or fewer locations in the United States including both Toast and non-Toast customers from May 17, 2024 to June 2, 2024. Respondents include a mix of both full-service and quick-service restaurants. Respondents were not made aware that Toast was fielding the study. Panel providers granted incentives to restaurant respondents for participation. Using a standard margin of error calculation, at a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error on average is +/- 4%.
