Cyber Risk, Supersized: VikingCloud's 2026 Quick Service & Fast Casual Restaurant Report

38% of restaurant chains say reliance on third-party vendors increases their cyber risk.

44% of restaurant leaders say employees prioritize speed over security protocols.

40% of quick service and fast casual restaurant chains had payment card data leaked in the past 12 months.

10% of restaurant chains have temporarily or permanently closed a location following a cyberattack.

54% of restaurants have between 26 and 99 connected IoT devices per location.

28% of restaurant leaders delay security patches frequently to avoid disrupting service.

40% of restaurants use AI-powered drive-thru or voice ordering.

80% of leaders at quick service and fast casual restaurant chains experienced at least one cyber incident in the past 12 months.

32% of quick service and fast casual restaurant chains had customer personal information leaked in the past 12 months.

30% of quick service and fast casual restaurant chains had internal system credentials leaked in the past 12 months.

More than one-third of leaders at quick service and fast casual restaurant chains initially mistake a real cyberattack for a routine technical glitch.

18% of restaurants have experienced brand damage from AI drive-thru technology hallucinations.

80% of restaurants experienced a social engineering attack in the past year.

36% of restaurants experienced fraudulent refund requests as a form of social engineering in the past year.

36% of restaurants experienced phishing targeting staff credentials as a form of social engineering in the past year.

36% of restaurant leaders feel not at all or only somewhat prepared for a socially engineered deepfake video or voice attack.

30% of restaurant chains plan to bring in an external cybersecurity partner in the next 12 months.

36% of restaurant chains have 24x7 monitoring, standardized controls, and tested response plans at all locations.

68% of restaurant leaders lose more than $1,000 per hour when point-of-sale or ordering systems fail during a peak meal rush.

62% of restaurant chains work with six or more third-party vendors per location.

28% of restaurant chains had third-party platform data exposed in the past year.

76% of quick service and fast casual restaurant chains had sensitive data leaked in the past 12 months.

28% of restaurant chains lack real-time, centralized visibility into their security posture.

30% of restaurants experienced AI-generated voice or video impersonating executives to authorize fraudulent payments in the past year.

94% of leaders at quick service and fast casual restaurant chains describe themselves as confident or very confident in their ability to prevent or detect a cyberattack.

30% of quick service and fast casual restaurant chains had employee payroll records leaked in the past 12 months.

78% of restaurant leaders delay security patches to avoid disrupting service.

38% of restaurant chains report inconsistent security practices across locations with varying IT maturity.

34% of restaurant leaders say a loss under $50,000 would significantly impact their business.