With the National Restaurant Association Show 2025 approaching, thousands of vendors are preparing to meet chain restaurant decision-makers. But success requires more than just showing up.<\/p>\n
For over 90 years CSG has been helping B2B companies navigate the complex world of multi-unit restaurant sales, and we know that strategic preparation makes all the difference.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The Restaurant Landscape in 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the National Restaurant Association, in 2023 the restaurant industry reached $997 billion in sales in 2023, up from $799 billion in. However, challenges persist:<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that labor costs increased 13.2% from 2019-2023.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Average profit margins decreased from 6-10% before the pandemic to only 3-5% in 2023, as reported by Technomic.<\/p>\n Chain restaurants need partners who understand these pressures and offer real solutions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What Chains Are Looking For Now<\/strong> \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Labor optimization solutions<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>AI-powered inventory management<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Sustainable packaging alternatives<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Integrated supply chain platforms<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Customer data unification<\/p>\n There’s clear demand for innovation. The 2023 Toast Restaurant Success Report<\/em> found that 95% of restaurateurs agree technology improves business efficiency. Meanwhile, the National Restaurant Association<\/em> reported that 63% of consumers say restaurant technologies make their experience more convenient.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why Selling to Chains Is Different<\/strong><\/p>\n When targeting chain restaurants, consider these key differences:<\/p>\n 1. Multiple decision-makers<\/strong>:<\/strong> B2B purchase decisions often involve 6\u201310 stakeholders, as noted by Forrester Research in 2023<\/em>.<\/p>\n 2. Complex buying process<\/strong>:<\/strong> 77% of B2B buyers described their latest purchase as \u201cvery complex or difficult,\u201d according to the Harvard Business Review<\/em>.<\/p>\n 3. Extended evaluation cycles<\/strong>:<\/strong> Larger chains typically spend 4\u20136 months evaluating major tech investments, based on the Deloitte Restaurant Industry Analysis<\/em>.<\/p>\n 4. Integration requirements<\/strong>:<\/strong> Your solution must work seamlessly within their existing tech ecosystem.<\/p>\n What works for independents won\u2019t cut it with chains. Generic sales approaches fall flat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Your Pre-Show Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n Preparation is everything:<\/p>\n 1. Build your target list<\/strong> using CSG’s Chain Restaurant Premier<\/a> to pinpoint ideal prospects.<\/p>\n 2. Research their challenges<\/strong> and stay informed on their tech stack and expansion plans.<\/p>\n 3. Pre-book meetings<\/strong> \u2013 Exhibitors who reach out before the show are 46% more successful at converting leads, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research<\/em>.<\/p>\n 4. Develop chain-specific talking points<\/strong> \u2013 Tailored messaging wins.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Making the Most of Every Interaction<\/strong> \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Ask about their unique operational challenges<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Speak their language: consistency, scalability, and ROI<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Capture detailed insights for effective follow-up<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the Show: The Critical Follow-Up<\/strong> <\/p>\n Post-show, your strategy should include:<\/p>\n 1. Personalized outreach referencing real conversations<\/p>\n 2. Multi-stakeholder engagement with help from Chain Restaurant Premier to identify all decision-makers<\/p>\n 3. Value-driven content aligned with their business needs<\/p>\n 4. Pilot proposals to demonstrate ROI before full rollout<\/p>\n Salesforce Research<\/em> reveals that while 80% of sales require five or more follow-ups, 44% of salespeople stop after just one. Don\u2019t be one of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Building Long-Term Chain Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Success at NRA isn\u2019t about collecting business cards \u2013 it\u2019s about starting strategic relationships that evolve into long-term, multi-location partnerships.<\/p>\n Position yourself as a problem-solver for today\u2019s chain challenges. With accurate data, a strong strategy, and persistent follow-through, you can rise above the noise and become a trusted partner.<\/p>\n Stop by Booth #5306<\/strong> to see Chain Store Guide’s restaurant data <\/a>in action and leave with actionable intelligence on your ideal chain prospects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the National Restaurant Association Show 2025 approaching, thousands of vendors are preparing to meet chain restaurant decision-makers. But success requires more than just showing up. For over 90 years CSG has been helping B2B companies navigate the complex world of multi-unit restaurant sales, and we know that strategic preparation makes all the difference. \u00a0… Continue reading How B2B Companies Can Break Into Restaurant Chains: Your Game Plan Before NRA 2025<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":18549,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-18483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tariff-impact","tag-csg-exclusive","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18483"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18550,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18483\/revisions\/18550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nRecent research shows that 65% of restaurants planned to increase technology budgets, according to Hospitality Technology’s 2023 report<\/em>. Their focus is shifting toward:<\/p>\n
\nAccording to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research<\/em>, 85% of show attendees are decision-makers and 80% are actively seeking new products and solutions. Every conversation counts:<\/p>\n
\nHarvard Business Review<\/em> research shows that reps who follow up within one hour are 7 times more likely to have meaningful conversations. Yet many exhibitors neglect follow-up entirely.<\/p>\n