Restaurants, C-stores and Hotels Are the New Front Line of Digital ADA: What Operators Must Know Now

 

Restaurants today face a new accessibility battleground—and it’s not the dining room, parking lot, bathrooms. It’s your website, mobile app, self-order kiosk, reservation engine, and loyalty platform and Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® thinks you should be informed.

Digital accessibility lawsuits have surged across retail, hospitality, and foodservice. In 2024, more than 4,200 digital ADA cases were filed nationwide—up nearly 20% from the prior year—and restaurant brands were one of the top three industry segments targeted.

To better understand where restaurants are most vulnerable and how to reduce risk, I consulted with Matthew Elefant, Managing Director at Inclusive Web, a leader in digital accessibility operations who has overseen thousands of ADA audits each year. His team’s frontline experience provides clear signals on where digital friction is growing and what restaurants must do now to protect their brand, their guest experience, and their bottom line.

 

I. Mobility Barriers: Keyboard Navigation Is the #1 Driver of Digital ADA Complaints

According to Elefant, keyboard-accessibility failures account for the largest share of legal filings affecting consumers with mobility limitations. This includes guests who rely on:

·       Keyboard navigation

·       Switch devices

·       Voice-command interfaces

·       Assistive technologies common among older adults and veterans

The most frequent failures?
Custom menus, carousels, modals, date pickers, and input fields that cannot be fully operated without a mouse.

Top Mobility-Related ADA Triggers

·       Missing or inconsistent focus indicators

·       Unlabeled form inputs and unpredictable tab order

·       Dynamic content not announced to assistive tech

·       Hidden or off-screen interactive elements

·       Complex widgets with missing or incorrect ARIA roles

For restaurants, this means your:

·       Online ordering flow

·       Table-reservation widget

·       Loyalty signup

·       Guest feedback form

·       Mobile app journey
…must all function seamlessly without a mouse.

Remediation That Works

Restaurants that reduce complaints consistently:

·       Rebuild interactive components for full keyboard operability

·       Standardize focus styling across all components

·       Follow WCAG-compliant form patterns

·       Document keyboard-only testing in an accessibility log

·       Maintain an ongoing Accessibility Maintenance Program rather than rely on a one-time audit

The data is clear: documentation of recurring testing—not a single audit—is the strongest legal defense.

 

II. Hearing Access: The New Top-3 Source of Digital Claims

Video has become a core communication tool for menu launches, community storytelling, and employee recruiting. It has also become a top litigation driver.

Most Common Hearing-Related Failures

·       Videos posted without captions

·       Audio-only content lacking transcripts

·       No visual indicators for alerts or confirmations

·       Auto-playing media without user controls

Healthcare portals and financial platforms may lead the volume, but restaurants—especially multi-unit brands with heavy marketing content—are increasingly targeted.

Risk-Reducing Solutions

According to Inclusive Web, the highest ROI practices include:

·       Mandatory captions for all prerecorded and live videos

·       Transcripts for all audio content

·       Accessible media players with visible controls

·       Text-based alerts that mimic audio notifications

Considering many ADA settlements start between $25,000–$75,000, proper captioning is one of the industry’s most cost-effective risk mitigators.

 

III. Super Seniors (Age 90+): The Fastest-Growing Guest Segment With the Highest Digital Friction

Americans over 90 represent one of the fastest-growing segments of digital consumers—especially in foodservice.

They order delivery.
They book tables for large family gatherings.
They use kiosks in fast-casual restaurants.
And they increasingly file ADA complaints when digital systems fail them.

Most Common Barriers for Super Seniors

·       Low-contrast text and icons

·       Small buttons or touch targets

·       Navigational complexity

·       Confusing or technical error messages

What Actually Helps

·       High-contrast modes and larger text defaults

·       Large touch targets (44px+ recommended)

·       Linear navigation pathways with fewer decision points

·       Plain-language labeling

·       Interfaces that maintain stability at 200%+ zoom

·       Optional “Large Text Mode” on kiosks and high-value screens

Restaurants that simplify flows for super seniors also dramatically improve usability for every guest demographic. This is the core of the Grocerant Guru® "universal design for foodservice" philosophy.

 

IV. Pool Access & Amenity Booking: The Overlooked Digital ADA Risk for Clubs, Resorts, and HOA-Connected Restaurants

Restaurants operating within resorts, hotels, fitness clubs, golf courses, or condominium properties face a unique risk: amenity-booking systems.

Enforcement data shows recurring failures in:

·       Inaccessible reservation calendars

·       Kiosks without keyboard navigation

·       Missing information about accessible features

·       UI that assumes high dexterity or vision

Corrective Measures

Operators should prioritize:

·       Accessible calendar widgets with ARIA semantics

·       Manual date-entry alternatives

·       Large-target, high-contrast kiosk interfaces

·       Clear labeling of accessible amenities (pool lifts, hours, staff assistance)

·       Staff training on alternate booking workflows

Linear workflows, simplified menus, and predictable options consistently produce lower claim rates and higher completion rates.

 

V. Staff Training: The Hidden ADA Failure Point

Elefant notes something restaurant operators often overlook:

“Many ADA disputes aren’t caused by the technology—they’re caused by staff who don’t know how to support the technology.”

Common Training Failures

·       Staff unable to assist a guest with a kiosk

·       Failure to enable accessibility modes

·       No accessible alternative for completing a reservation or order

·       Incorrect explanations of company policies

Training Protocols That Reduce Disputes

·       Annual accessibility training for all frontline employees

·       SOPs for kiosk assistance and alternative workflows

·       Hands-on practice with accessibility settings

·       Disability-led training from real users

·       Documentation of staff competencies and refreshers

A single accessible workflow—explained consistently—can prevent dozens of complaints.

 

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR RESTAURANT LEADERS

The intersection of digital and physical accessibility is now one of the most important operational priorities for restaurant operators in 2025. As brands race to roll out kiosks, mobile ordering, loyalty apps, and AI-powered personalization, they must also ensure:

·       Keyboard operability

·       Captioned content

·       Super-senior friendly interfaces

·       Accessible amenity booking systems

·       Trained staff ready to assist

Restaurants that treat digital accessibility as an ongoing operational discipline—not a compliance checkbox—will see:

·       Fewer legal exposures

·       Higher guest satisfaction

·       Better order-completion rates

·       Increased loyalty from aging consumers

·       Stronger brand trust

 

Three Grocerant Guru® Insights for 2025

1. The aging American consumer will reshape digital design.

Restaurants that optimize for super seniors first will outperform competitors in conversion and guest satisfaction.

2. Digital ADA compliance is no longer optional—it’s a frontline brand differentiator.

Consumers equate accessibility with trust. Brands that fail here lose guests long before lawsuits appear.

3. Simplicity sells.

Linear ordering flows, readable typography, and high-contrast layouts don’t just prevent complaints—they increase order accuracy, average check size, and repeat visits.

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideas look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how our Grocerant Guru® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit: us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

2025 Coffee-Chain Competition Through the Eyes of the Grocerant Guru®

 

How convenience stores, QSRs, and mid-size chains are reshaping morning coffee — and why Starbucks is no longer the only powerhouse on the block.

As the Grocerant Guru®, I’ve long said that the battle for the “morning meal” is actually the battle for beverage share — and in 2025, coffee is the center of gravity. The lines between restaurant, retail, and convenience are blurring faster than ever, and nowhere is that more visible than in the coffee wars.

Below is the coffee marketplace as it really looks in 2025 — with foodservice, QSR, and c-store data that underscore where the growth, consumers, and dollars are migrating.

 

Coffee demand is booming — but consumer behavior has splintered

Coffee consumption is at an all-time high, but consumers no longer behave as if the only options are Starbucks or Dunkin’. The market has fractured into micro-segments where value, speed, and portability outweigh brand heritage.

Key 2025 markers:

·       46% of U.S. adults drink specialty coffee daily — up sharply from 39% in 2020. That’s a behavioral pivot, not a fad.

·       U.S. coffee-shop sales: $22.6B, with Starbucks holding 30–40%. But share dominance ≠ traffic dominance.

·       Global foodservice coffee (including c-stores, QSRs, and micro-cafés): $456B in 2024 → $479B in 2025, proving that the “coffee occasion” has become a daylong, omnichannel purchase.

Grocerant reality:
Consumers are no longer loyal to a location — they are loyal to a level of convenience.

 

C-Stores: The fastest-growing coffee channel of 2025

If you want to know where the real coffee disruption lives, it’s not inside a café — it’s inside 7-Eleven, Wawa, Sheetz, Casey’s, and Circle K.

C-store operators have been quietly transforming their coffee programs by treating coffee like a high-margin foodservice category instead of a commodity.

2025 C-Store Coffee Acceleration:

·       Bean-to-cup machines are now standard in top chains, producing made-to-order coffee at QSR speed.

·       U.S. convenience-store industry revenue hits $48.7B, up year-over-year.

·       C-stores are “zeroing in” on frequent coffee buyers through morning bundle pricing, app rewards, and LTO seasonal beverages — a tactic borrowed directly from QSRs.

·       Longer visits at mid-size coffee chains grew 13.4%, while Starbucks and Dunkin’ saw an 8.9% drop in longer stays — a sign that customers are trading physical café ambience for speed-oriented beverage stops.

Why c-stores win the Grocerant competition:

They blend two winning forces:

1.       Foodservice-quality beverages,

2.       Retail-level speed and value.

That’s the essence of the grocerant trend — foodservice at retail with the halo of convenience.

 

QSRs ramp up coffee innovation: The “New Coffee War”

Coffee is no longer a side item in fast food. It’s the traffic engine.

2025 Highlights:

·       McDonald’s expands its McCafé-style beverage platforms across hundreds more U.S. units. Cold brew and flavored drinks hit record sales — fueled by the same playbook that made fountain sodas a staple of QSR profitability.

·       Dunkin’ stays strong with $12.47B in U.S. systemwide sales and nearly 9,800 units — proving that menu simplicity + beverage innovation = sticky customer behavior.

Grocerant takeaway:
QSRs are winning because they understand the bundled experience. A coffee + sandwich + value message has more “pull power” than a $7 latte with no food attached.

 

Starbucks: Still the giant, but increasingly out of step

Let’s be clear: Starbucks remains the global leader with ~40,200 stores worldwide. Its brand equity is extraordinary.

But in 2025, that doesn’t automatically translate to runaway growth.

Consider the friction points:

·       U.S. comp sales were flat in Q4 2025, even as global revenue rose 5.5%.

·       Starbucks’ core differentiators — “third place” atmosphere, lingering visits, premium positioning — matter less to today’s mobile, cost-conscious, multi-stop consumer.

·       The rise of “coffee without ceremony” (quick, mobile, bundled, value-forward) is pulling younger buyers toward convenience stores, QSRs, and micro-chains with simpler menus.

·       High pricing and longer lines make Starbucks feel less essential for morning-mission consumers.

Grocerant Guru insight:
Starbucks is competing against a marketplace it helped create — a world where everyone now understands how profitable, scalable, and appealing a good coffee program can be.

 

From the consumer’s perspective: 2025 is the year of the “Coffee Choice Set”

Rather than choosing one brand, consumers now build a coffee-choice portfolio across multiple channels:

·       7-Eleven, Wawa, Sheetz: Bean-to-cup speed, value, and convenience — the new commuter favorite.

·       McDonald's & QSRs: Bundled meals + cold brew innovation = value dominance.

·       Indie & mid-size chains: Better vibe, better craft beverages, and rising loyalty.

·       Starbucks: Consistency and rewards — but less differentiation on price and speed.

The new unwritten consumer rule:

“My coffee stop changes depending on my mission.”

That is classic grocerant behavior: the right product, at the right time, in the right channel.

 

The Future of the Coffee War: Grocerant Guru® Forecast

·       C-stores will become the default morning coffee stop for “mission shoppers” — commuters, multitaskers, gig workers.

·       QSRs will keep gaining beverage share by bundling breakfast + coffee with aggressive value pricing.

·       Specialty chains will survive by emphasizing quality, personalization, limited-time drinks, and experience.

·       Starbucks’ growth will increasingly come from international units, not the U.S. — unless it can rebuild its domestic value proposition.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. The retailer who controls the “morning beverage occasion” controls the daypart.

Coffee is now the gateway product that drives breakfast, snack, and even lunch purchases. The brand that wins the beverage lane wins the traffic lane.

2. Portability beats atmosphere — and price beats brand — for most weekday coffee missions.

Consumers treat coffee like fuel: fast, frictionless, and financially sensible. This favors c-stores and QSR bundling over premium café environments.

3. Coffee loyalty is shifting from brand loyalty to mission loyalty.

Customers no longer pledge allegiance to Starbucks or Dunkin’ — they pledge allegiance to speed, value, and convenience. The brands that align with the consumer mission of the moment will win the next decade of beverage growth.

Gain a Competitive Edge with a Grocerant ScoreCard

Unlock new opportunities with a Grocerant ScoreCard, designed to optimize product positioning, placement, and consumer engagement.

Since 1991, Foodservice Solutions® has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche—helping brands identify high-growth strategies that resonate with modern consumers.

📞 Call 253-759-7869 or 📩 Email Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us