The restaurant industry thrives on speed, efficiency, and great customer experiences. But behind the seamless service lies a critical function: its workforce training. 

In this demanding industry, training teams often find themselves in a pressure cooker, so to speak, facing numerous challenges in equipping their staff with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.

To better understand these hurdles, we surveyed over 100 learning and development (L&D) leaders, representing 40,000 locations to learn the everyday challenges their teams face. The result is the latest Hospitality Training 360 Report, where we asked two simple questions:

  1. For the upcoming year, what is the most pressing challenge you face in managing your L&D team?
  2. How are you planning to respond to these challenges?

We asked and you delivered. The challenges that were mentioned by those surveyed include balancing quality versus speed of delivery, getting buy-in for novel approaches or implementing new technology, managing dwindling budgets, and talent retention, among other challenges.

With so many challenges facing today’s restaurant training teams, L&D leaders have sought solutions like Opus to meet these challenges head-on. Let’s dive deeper into the responses that stood out most and how today’s leaders are overcoming these challenges.

5 Challenges Restaurant Training Leaders Face in 2025

Balancing Quality vs. Speed of Delivery

The pressure to onboard new hires quickly and upskill existing staff efficiently can sometimes come at the expense of quality. Ensuring that employees not only receive information quickly but also retain and apply it effectively, is a pressing concern. 

Surveyors mentioned the high volume of simultaneous initiatives and "now" deadlines as one reason for concern. Limited L&D team size (many mention being a "department of 1"), and the difficulty in pulling managers from operations for training are also top of mind. Therefore, striking the right balance between speed and quality is paramount.

To balance speed and quality, L&D professionals plan to lean heavily on technology for assistance. For instance, these are the solutions mentioned most by those surveyed: 

  • Technology & external solutions 
  • Leveraging AI tools
  • Strategic prioritization 
  • Team expansion/support
  • Iteration
"We plan to address this by: Implementing AI-driven tools to streamline content development and delivery without compromising quality. Prioritizing high-impact training initiatives to ensure the most critical needs are met efficiently. Leveraging a blended learning approach (digital and in-person) to optimize resource allocation while maintaining training effectiveness." - Anonymous Survey Respondent

Getting Buy-in For New Approaches or Technology

Another issue training leaders anticipate facing is getting corporate buy-in for implementing fresh approaches or technology to solve its challenges. Respondents mentioned leadership's hesitation to adopt new technologies, the difficulty in demonstrating immediate ROI, and resistance to change from operations teams and franchisees as top reasons. 

One surveyor emphasized the disconnect between leadership and training leaders, responding, “[greater] synergy and partnership with C-suite” as a means of getting buy-in, while another surveyor mentioned, “prove to our franchisees that L&D initiatives improve KPIs (customer service scores, labor, sales, food costs, etc)” as a way to achieving new training solutions approval.

"I'm taking a new perspective for the new initiatives we're planning to bake in with the Ops leadership first and foremost prior to building the content. This way we can get better buy-in from the get-go on the importance of the program." - Anonymous Survey Respondent

Despite the challenges training teams face, getting buy-in is possible by building better relationships with leadership. Here are a few quick tips. 

Quick tips for getting buy-in: 

  • Build relationships and confidence with leadership
  • Demonstrate ROI through pilots and data
  • Start with small tests
  • Increase communication about benefits
  • Work closely with operations leadership

Managing Budget Constraints

It’s no secret that training budgets have declined in recent years. After a year of fairly substantial L&D budgets in 2024, businesses are dialing them back in 2025.

According to this year’s report, the number of respondents anticipating increased training spend decreased by 10 percentage points year-over-year. Additionally, twice as many respondents said they were unsure what this yearʼs budget would bring (10% vs. last year < 5%).

One of the best ways to guard against budget cuts? Proving ROI on training with operational metrics. According to the report, L&D leaders who tracked ops metrics were:

  • Nearly twice as likely to see a budget increase (55% vs. 30%)
  • Less uncertain of what would happen to their budget (5% vs.
  • 13%)
  • Less likely to see a budget decrease (5% vs. 13%)

Implementing automation and AI is one solution to solving pain points in restaurant training due to budget constraints. One surveyor noted, “We do not have the resources to hire more people for the department, so we are using AI and technology to make us more productive.”

Retaining Essential Team Members

Like other aspects of the restaurant industry, retaining talent tops the list of challenges L&D leaders anticipate facing more in 2025. Many respondents mentioned a lack of clear career progression paths, competition, and a need for better benefits and development as their biggest hurdles. 

By addressing key areas, L&D teams can significantly impact talent retention within their organizations. Improving benefits and career progression demonstrates a commitment to employees' long-term growth and well-being, making them more likely to stay. Increasing personal touchpoints, such as regular check-ins and personalized feedback, fosters a sense of value and connection, strengthening employee loyalty. 

A dedicated focus on first-year development ensures new hires feel supported and integrated from the outset, reducing early attrition. Effectively balancing tech and people approaches creates a comprehensive and engaging learning experience, catering to diverse needs and fostering a human connection alongside digital efficiency. 

Last, enhancing leadership training equips managers with the skills to effectively lead and support their teams, creating a positive and growth-oriented work environment that encourages employees to remain with the company.

Other Challenges

While the previous challenges are enough to keep any L&D team busy finding solutions, additional challenges are being faced among surveyed teams. Cited challenges include: 

  • The need for more subject matter experts
  • Integration challenges with technology
  • Limitations within incentive structures

The need for more subject matter experts can be mitigated by inviting more content contributors from within the organization, tapping into existing expertise, and fostering a culture of knowledge sharing. 

Overcoming technology integration challenges necessitates implementing better technology that is user-friendly, well-supported, and seamlessly integrated into existing workflows. Where incentive structure limitations hinder motivation, adding more incentives, both monetary and non-monetary, can drive engagement and participation in learning initiatives. 

To further enhance effectiveness, one-on-one coaching provides personalized support and guidance, addressing individual learning needs. Finally, showcasing success cases demonstrates the tangible benefits of training, building buy-in, and encouraging greater participation and commitment to L&D programs.

Opus Training: An AI-Powered Solution for Solving Today’s Restaurant Training Challenges

The Hospitality Training 360 Report paints a clear picture of the multifaceted challenges confronting restaurant training leaders in 2025. From the constant balancing act between training speed and quality to the critical need for leadership buy-in, the constraints of tightening budgets, the imperative of talent retention, and a host of additional hurdles, training teams are navigating a complex landscape. However, the survey also illuminates a path forward. 

By strategically embracing technology, particularly AI-driven solutions, prioritizing impactful initiatives, fostering strong relationships with leadership, and focusing on data-backed ROI, L&D professionals are actively seeking and implementing innovative strategies to not only overcome these obstacles but also to elevate the effectiveness and efficiency of their training programs. 

The insights shared by over 100 leaders underscore a collective commitment to equipping their teams for success in the ever-evolving restaurant industry, with many looking to partners like Opus to provide the technological edge needed to thrive in this demanding industry.