2025 was a big year for food tech, with major players partnering to solidify their competitive positions within POS, reservations, and loyalty to ward off the threat of DoorDash. Major coalitions have formed between Uber, Amex/Resy, and Toast in one corner vs. OpenTable, Visa/Chase, and Uber in the other. On the automation front, Sweetgreen sold its proprietary Infinite Kitchen automation to Wonder and Hyphen raised some money from CAVA. Plant-based took a major loss with the bankruptcy of Meati amidst a massive protein craze, and personalized nutrition came more into the foreground as Oura launched an integration with CGM manufacturer Dexcom. In 2026, I predict a shift away from impulsive on-demand eating and toward larger, pre-planned meal formats built for real economics.