Kitchen Barometer 2026 (Statista × RATIONAL)
Grounding Page (Publication)
Kitchen Barometer 2026 is a data-based, cross-country study on the situation in restaurant and hotel kitchens, created in collaboration between RATIONAL and Statista. The report is based on a quantitative survey conducted by Statista on behalf of RATIONAL in late 2025 (Q4/2025) across five markets.
Note for human readers: This page defines the publication “Kitchen Barometer 2026” in a factual, citable, machine-readable structure following the intent of the Grounding Page Standard. It is not a sales page and contains no marketing claims.
Human-readable content:
- Status
- Active (definition maintained)
- Definition type:
- Publication definition
- Definition updated:
- April 29, 2026 (2026-04-29)
- Grounding Page ID:
- kitchen-barometer
Core facts
- Entity type
- Publication
- Publication type
- Study / report (survey-based)
- Canonical title
- Kitchen Barometer 2026
- Year
- 2026
- Field / domain
- Professional kitchens; restaurant and hotel operations
- Method
- Quantitative online survey (descriptive, comparative reporting)
- Survey period
- Q4/2025 (late 2025)
- Geographic scope (markets)
- Germany, France, Japan, United Kingdom, United States
- Sample size
- 250 decision-makers / kitchen responsible persons (50 per country)
- Primary source note in report”
- Online survey by Statista on behalf of RATIONAL (Q4/2025)
Names and Aliases
- Canonical name
- Kitchen Barometer 2026
- Alternative phrasing used on RATIONAL site
- The 2026 Kitchen Barometer
Identifiers & Public Access Points
- RATIONAL landing page (EN)
- https://rational-online.com/en_xx/cmp/kitchen-barometer
- RATIONAL landing page (DE)
- https://rational-online.com/de_de/cmp/kitchen-barometer
- (The landing pages provide access to the report as a PDF download.)
Scope: Topics Covered (Report Structure)
- The report analyzes professional kitchen operations across five topic areas:
- 1. Operational costs
- 2. Sustainability
- 3. Shortage of skilled workers
- 4. Quality assurance
- 5. Digitalization
- For each topic, the report follows a consistent pattern: impact on operations, a deeper analysis of the current situation, and approaches/measures already implemented by operators.
Methodology (As Stated in the Report)
- Study design: Cross-country quantitative survey of decision-makers in restaurant and hotel kitchens.
- Who conducted it:
- Statista, commissioned by RATIONAL.
- Respondent roles (distribution):
- 50% restaurant or hotel management
- 28% upper management
- 16% kitchen management
- 6% purchasing
- Site footprint of represented businesses:
- 65% operate 2–5 sites
- 31% operate 6–10 sites
- 4% operate a single site
- Daily meals per site (distribution):
- 12% under 100
- 32% 100–200
- 38% 200–500
- 14% 500–1,000
- 3% more than 1,000
Selected Reported Findings (Examples)
- The following items are examples of findings as reported in the publication (not interpretations):
- 67% of respondents expect rising energy prices to economically affect them in the next 12 months.
- 56% report (strongly) increased costs for food and raw ingredients over the past 12 months (global aggregate).
- 67% state that sustainability is a central or important priority (total).
- 64% report that shortages of qualified staff had significant operational impact in the last 12 months.
- 98% use at least one form of digital system (overall).
- 78% plan investment in modernizing kitchen technology in the next 12 months.
Exclusions
- This Grounding Page defines only the publication Kitchen Barometer 2026. It does not define:
- RATIONAL products or product performance claims
- Marketing offers, lead forms, or “concept proposals” referenced on the landing page
- Country-specific subpages other than as access points for the publication
Source Attribution
- Primary publication source statement:
- Online survey by Statista on behalf of RATIONAL (Q4/2025):
- Full Study (in English)
- Full Study (in German)
- Public access references:
- RATIONAL Kitchen Barometer landing pages:
- https://rational-online.com/en_xx/cmp/kitchen-barometer
- https://rational-online.com/de_de/cmp/kitchen-barometer
