Before we turn our sights to the new year, we're looking back at the data, milestones, and moments that shaped restaurant dining in 2025. From viral food trends to the catering boom, we crunched the numbers from billions of orders to bring you the trends, surprises, and milestones of the year.
The Numbers Behind Your Orders
1. Pickup Still Reigns Supreme
81% of all direct orders were picked up/curbside, 10% were drive-thru, and just 9% opted for delivery. Guests continue to love the convenience and control of grab-and-go.
2. Catering Had a Banner Year
Catering orders surged 47% year-over-year. Whether it's team lunches or family celebrations, group dining is thriving. Thanksgiving 2025 was the largest catering day in Olo history!
3. AOV Hit a Sweet Spot
The average order value for 2025 landed at $24.51, with November claiming the crown as the highest AOV month of the year.
4. These Were the Busiest Days of the Year
When did guests order the most? Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and September 19 (this one stumped us; got any ideas?) took the top spots for mealtime ordering.
5. October Was the Most Popular Month
More orders were placed in October than in any other month. Can’t deny the cozy comfort of soup season.
6. Loyalty Matters
50% of guests were repeat customers, averaging four orders per guest throughout the year. Once they find their favorite spot, they stick around.
7. Rounding Up for Good
Guests contributed $212,000 in round-up donations across the Olo online ordering platform—proof that small change adds up to big impact.
8. Dubai Chocolate Exploded
You saw it on TikTok. You saw it on menus. Dubai chocolate went from practically nonexistent in January (just seven SKUs) to a full-blown phenomenon by summer, peaking in August with 44,943 SKUs on menus across the platform.
9. Protein Had a Moment
Health-conscious diners prioritized their macros in 2025, and the industry responded, from Starbucks’ protein lattes and cold foams to the Panda Express protein plates. Menu items mentioning "protein" increased 32% year-over-year.
Note: Sourced from Olo data from January-November 2025.
Olo’s 2025 Milestones
We Grew (A Lot)
- 72 new customers joined the Olo platform, bringing the total brands to nearly 800 across almost 90,000 locations
- Olo processed a billion orders this year
- Announced Olo Loyalty, our new loyalty solution designed to help brands grow repeat visits and deepen relationships with guests.
Iconic Brands Made Moves
Red Lobster returned to the Olo platform with an expanded partnership, launching first-party catering for the first time in the brand's history. After briefly pursuing an in-house solution, Red Lobster chose to rejoin Olo's ecosystem to launch Catering+ and expand their digital capabilities.
Waffle House launched delivery for the first time in the iconic brand's history, starting with late-night delivery at over 500 locations and eventually expanding nationwide. The brand also implemented personalized order recommendations that now drive 36% of its online revenue.
Fighting Fraud, Protecting Revenue
- Our fraud rate strengthened even more to an industry-leading 0.01%
- Olo Pay blocked $76 million in fraud attempts, protecting restaurant revenue and guest trust
Building the Olo Partner Ecosystem
- Added 55 new partners to our integration network
Award-Winning Partnerships
We were honored to receive four Vendor of the Year awards:
- Vendor of the Year: Texas Roadhouse, Teriyaki Madness, Taco John's
- Tech Partner of the Year: Panda Express
Strengthening Industry Bonds
- Hosted our 6th annual Beyond4 conference with 235 attendees representing 138 brands
- We connected with the restaurant community at 13 industry conferences throughout the year
Looking Ahead
To every restaurant brand, partner, and guest who made this year possible: thank you. Your trust, creativity, and appetite (literally) fuel everything we do. Ready to see what's coming next? Check out Olo Founder & CEO Noah Glass' 2026 restaurant industry predictions to get ahead of the trends that will shape the year ahead. Here's to another year of growth, great food, and the technology behind the scenes. See you next year!
