As Ramadan 2026 officially begins, restaurants and cafés across the UAE are stepping into one of the busiest times of the year with customer demand peaking during Iftar and Suhoor. To make the most of this high-traffic season and maximize their potential, restaurants must balance speed, service quality and smart planning to operate efficiently while meeting evolving customer expectations during the holy month.
The dining behaviour of customers during Ramadan presents prime opportunities for restaurant owners to tailor their strategies. According to a YouGov MENA Report in 2025, 52% of UAE residents preferred to dine out with family and friends during Ramadan. 40% UAE consumers also planned to order food at home, with 33% preferring to order Iftar meals and 16% ordering Suhoor meals. These shifts highlight the importance of data-driven decision making during the holy month.
From creating targeted offerings to creating communal dining packages for families, understanding consumer preferences through the help of technology allows restaurants to enhance guest experiences while improving operational efficiency.
Foodics, MENA’s leading cloud-based restaurant operations and financial management company, is supporting restaurants throughout Ramadan to maximize their potential and run operations efficiently by enabling smarter planning, streamlined operations, faster execution, and greater operational control to deliver a seamless experience.
Smart menu planning using data: Using Foodics BI, an advanced AI-powered analytics tool, restaurants can analyze historical data to identify the best-selling items and predict peak hour demands. This allows operators to streamline their menus to highlight the most requested items and even introduce Ramadan combo deals and offers or family bundles for Iftar and Suhoor. This also helps optimize kitchen workflows resulting in higher profitability.
Technology-driven upselling: Digital menus, kiosks, and customer display screens enable restaurants to seamlessly upsell add-ons such as beverages or desserts, increasing average order value.
Optimized staffing and performance tracking: Maximizing efficiency during peak hours is key in all aspects, especially in workforce planning. By analyzing POS data, restaurants can identify busy periods for all branches and design efficient work schedules, to ensure adequate staffing during Iftar and Suhoor while controlling labour costs.
Streamlined operations: Using digital and tech tools to manage orders, reduce errors, and improve service speed, ensures smooth execution of day-to-day operations and consistency during high-volume service periods.
Demand forecasting and efficient inventory control: Accurate demand forecasting is critical during Ramadan to avoid operational chaos. With data-driven insights and sales patterns, Foodics BI enables restaurants to identify top-selling items and manage inventory efficiently, avoiding shortages and minimizing waste with overstocking during peak windows.
Personalized loyalty to enhance customer experience: Through Foodics’ loyalty systems, restaurants can reward frequent customers with exclusive offers and personalized promotions based on previous order behaviours, driving repeat visits throughout the holy month.
In addition, the YouGov MENA Report also revealed that healthy eating trends have remained prominent during 2025 with 52% of UAE residents prioritizing balanced and healthier meals. By leveraging restaurant technology for its real time data-driven sales insights, restaurants can identify if nutritious options are in demand during Iftar and Suhoor, adjust menus and plan inventory accurately, ensuring they are able to meet evolving preferences efficiently
With the right preparation and the support of data-driven technology, restaurants can maximize their potential during Ramadan by managing peak periods more efficiently to deliver a seamless guest experience. To further support restaurateurs during this high-demand season, Foodics is currently offering complimentary hardware along with its advanced AI-powered analytics tool, Foodics BI, at a reduced rate.
