Five connected trends shaping HoReCa in 2025

1) Smart kitchens are moving from “set and hope” to “measure and adapt”

Ovens, coffee machines and chillers no longer run blind. Connected units report temperature, cycles, errors and energy use in real time. Add a bit of AI and you get sensible wins: quicker cook times, fewer failed batches, better ingredient planning, less energy burned while idling. Predictive maintenance is the other big gain; faults are spotted before they become outages, and maintenance visits are planned, not panicked.

What this means for manufacturers

• Design for remote life: configuration, firmware updates and basic resets should work without a site visit.

• Keep data useful, not noisy: send health and exceptions in real time; batch the long logs when the kitchen is quiet.

• Plan for tough installs: cupboards, kiosks and stainless cabinets are radio-unfriendly, so give the device a way to connect even when Wi-Fi won’t cooperate.

2) The guest journey is digital, and it pulls the kitchen with it

QR menus, order-ahead apps and cashier-less flows are now normal. The upside for operators is better speed and cleaner data: what sells, when it sells, and how changes ripple through the day. The knock-on effect for equipment makers is clear. If your device can publish simple, reliable signals; “ready”, “low beans”, “cycle complete”, “needs service”, venues can use that data to pace service and reduce waste.

What this means for manufacturers

• Expose small, meaningful events via APIs so the device can plug into point-of-sale and workforce tools.

• Make status visible at a glance: traffic-light states beat scrolling logs in a rush.

• Assume the venue network will say no: captive portals and locked-down firewalls are common. Have a fallback that just works.

3) Sustainability is real when you can count it

Energy-efficient kit matters, but what wins tenders now is proof. Sites want to show reduced energy per cycle, fewer wasted batches, and traceable inputs. That needs clean data. Not just headline numbers, but context: when the cycle ran, what the set-point was, whether a door was opened, and so on.

What this means for manufacturers

• Track a handful of standard metrics well (energy per cycle, cycles to failure, time at set-point) and keep them consistent across models.

• Make it easy to export summaries for audits.

• Protect data in transit by keeping traffic off the public internet where possible.

A quiet IXT note: Our SecureNet option routes device traffic over private paths or directly into your cloud, which keeps data flows predictable and easier to audit.

4) Automation and robotics are leaving the demo stand

Robot baristas, automated pour stations, smart baking and sensor-tuned environments are moving from “crowd-pleaser” to “operational tool”. The wins are simple: consistency at peak, safer workflows, and staff time shifted to guests rather than settings.

What this means for manufacturers

• Build for clear fallbacks. When automation pauses, the device should fail safe and tell the team what to do next.

• Separate control from analytics. Keep the control loop local and resilient; push summaries to the cloud.

• Be honest about bearers. NB-IoT and LTE-M can help with hard-to-reach placements thanks to better indoor reach, but they’re not a magic fix for every basement. Coverage varies by country and speeds are lower — perfect for counters and alerts, slower for heavy updates.

5) Connectivity is the quiet foundation — and it decides whether you scale

Connected HoReCa lives and dies on the basics: does the device come online on day one, send the right data to the right place, and stay manageable when you’ve got thousands in the wild?

Three practical principles keep rollouts calm:

• Cellular as the default path. Venue Wi-Fi is great until it isn’t. A cellular route gives you a predictable, separate lane. For difficult sites, LTE-M/NB-IoT can help — just test on site and keep big updates for a faster bearer.

• Private by default. Route device traffic over a private APN or straight into your cloud. Approve only the services you need (updates and your data hub) and keep everything else closed.

• Device-initiated support. The machine starts the session when it needs help. Nothing sits open waiting for inbound connections.

Scaling across borders adds two more must-haves:

• eSIM or multi-IMSI from the start. Where long-term roaming is restricted, switch to a compliant local profile without rolling a van.

• Multi-operator access per country. Give each device a choice of networks so it can hold on in real-world placements.

A quiet IXT note: We support multi-network access across markets, private routing with SecureNet, and an optional Zero Trust add-on that verifies each session per device without exposing inbound services. If you need LTE-M/NB-IoT, we’ll tell you where it’s ready and how to blend it with 4G/5G so you don’t get stuck.

What to do next (especially if you’re at HostMilan)

If you’re heading to HOST, bring a short list: where you’re selling next, how your device connects today, and what service data you wish you had. We can sketch the right path — whether that’s mixing LTE-M with 4G/5G, planning for roaming limits, or tightening your security story so procurement says yes.

Arvin Farati from our team will be walking the floor and setting aside time for quick, focused sessions. Book a slot, and we’ll have a no pressure chat about your challenges and needs.