GLP-1, Smaller Checks, and the New Menu Math for POS Resellers

A year ago, “traffic is down” usually meant one of three things: pricing fatigue, a local competitor, or a broken delivery workflow.

In 2026, there’s a fourth culprit that’s harder to spot in the daily sales report: GLP-1s.
These appetite-suppressing meds (Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, Mounjaro) aren’t making people “stop going out.” The more interesting change is what they buy when they do show up.

Circana’s latest foodservice research says visit frequency is relatively stable, but ordering behavior is shifting (including fewer items per trip). And Bloomberg Intelligence survey coverage has pointed to a meaningful share of GLP-1 users saying they dine out less often.

For POS resellers and multi-location operators, that combo creates a very specific threat: same traffic (or close to it) + smaller checks + different category mix = revenue softening that looks “normal” until it isn’t.
Let’s talk about what’s changing, what to measure, and what to change in menus, reporting, and loyalty so topline stays steady.

Think in three levers: frequency, portion size, category mix.

1) Frequency is not the headline — basket composition is

Circana’s angle is basically: GLP-1 guests still show up, but they behave differently once they’re there.

That matters because many restaurant growth systems (upsell prompts, bundles, LTO strategy, loyalty thresholds) are built on the assumption that guests will “fill the bag.”

GLP-1 users often don’t. And that’s where you start seeing declining average check restaurant patterns even in locations where traffic is holding.

2) Portion size pressure is real — and chains are reacting

You’re starting to see “smaller appetite” options show up as a formal menu strategy, not just a hidden modifier.

Darden has been rolling out a “Lighter Portions” section at Olive Garden, and management explicitly acknowledged it’s helpful for GLP-1 diners (while positioning it as broadly appealing).

Shake Shack launched a “Good Fit Menu” with GLP-1-friendly positioning, designed to reduce ordering friction for people optimizing macros.

Whether you like these moves or not, they’re signals: big brands are redesigning menu architecture around smaller decisions. For operators, this quickly becomes menu pricing strategy: it’s not about making items cheaper, it’s about making smaller portions profitable.

3) Category mix is shifting toward protein-forward, “precision” eating

Foodservice analysts have been blunt: menu development needs to reflect smaller appetites, more protein intent, and more flexible portions.

That doesn’t automatically mean “health food.” It means:

• guests who still want flavor, but in a tighter portion,
• fewer “add a side + dessert” moments,
• more “get me something that feels worth it” protein-centric picks.

This is where appetite suppressing drugs and dining shows up in a surprisingly operational way: fewer impulse add-ons, more deliberate “one good item,” and a higher bar for anything that feels like empty calories.

If you’re advising operators, you don’t need to moralize about GLP-1s. You need to frame the math:

• AOV slips gradually (especially at lunch, QSR, fast casual)
• add-on attach rates soften (sides, fries, desserts, alcohol)
• promo strategy that pushes bigger combos loses bite
• labor and COGS don’t automatically fall at the same rate

Result: margins quietly get weird.

Your job (as a reseller/operator) is to rebuild the system so the smaller check doesn’t automatically equal smaller profit — because restaurant ticket size isn’t just a vanity metric anymore, it’s the early warning system.

Here are practical menu levers that don’t require a full concept overhaul.

A) Introduce a “small-but-premium” size ladder

This is not half-size at half-price. The goal is to keep margin intact while meeting appetite.

Patterns that work:

• 70% portion at ~85–90% price (customers feel smart; you protect dollars)
• smaller entrée + high-margin add-on (protein topper, specialty sauce, upgraded side)
• “choose your portion” with clear protein callouts

Call it what it is: menu engineering for smaller appetites. You’re redesigning the value equation, not apologizing for smaller plates.

B) Replace “bundle bigger” with “bundle smarter”

If GLP-1 diners don’t want a full combo, bundling can still work — it just has to be built around intent:

• protein + hydration beverage
• protein + fiber-forward side
• “snackable” pairings that feel complete without feeling heavy

This is where add-ons and modifiers strategy becomes more important than classic combo discounting. You’re not pushing volume; you’re protecting margin with smart, relevant attachments.

C) Stop hiding the customizations people are already making

A lot of “GLP-1-friendly” behavior already exists as mods:

• lettuce wrap
• no bun / half rice
• extra protein, lighter base
• smaller portion

Surface these as one-tap presets. Shake Shack is doing exactly that: reduce “guesswork” and decision friction.

For multi-location ops, the key is consistency: the preset should exist across in-store, kiosks, and online.

If you want to get ahead of GLP-1 effects, you can’t rely on topline sales and traffic dashboards. You need a few “behavioral” metrics that show basket compression early.

Here’s a starter set:

Items per ticket (IPT)

Action: alert when IPT drops but traffic holds.

Attach rate by category

• sides attach rate
• dessert attach rate
• alcohol attach rate
  Action: break out attach rate by daypart and channel (on-prem vs delivery).

This is where you’ll often see dessert alcohol sales decline GLP-1 patterns first: not necessarily crashing, but gradually sliding as the “I’ll treat myself” moments get rarer.

Protein share of basket

Action: measure protein items / total items, and protein dollars / total dollars.

“Downshift” behavior

Create a simple flag for:

• large → regular
• regular → light
• combo → à la carte
  Action: track by location cohort; watch for drift after menu changes or local GLP-1 adoption patterns.

Loyalty changes: stop rewarding volume, start rewarding frequency

A lot of loyalty programs are built like this:

Spend $X, get $Y.

GLP-1 behavior breaks that. People can still love you, visit often, and never hit the threshold that triggers rewards.

Better structures:

• visit-based rewards (e.g., 5 visits = reward)
• category-based boosters (protein entrée counts double this month)
• “habit” rewards (weekday lunch streaks, hydration add-on streaks).

If you sell POS, your GLP-1 angle is not “new feature ideas.” It’s operational control.

Your pitch can be:

• We’ll help you redesign menus for smaller baskets without losing margin.
• We’ll add reporting that detects basket compression early.
• We’ll rebuild loyalty so frequent guests still feel rewarded.

And here’s the part where the “integration layer” matters:

If a brand changes portion strategy but can’t push those changes cleanly across delivery apps, online ordering, and different POS environments, the rollout turns into chaos: mismatched pricing, wrong modifiers, broken bundles.

This is exactly where an integration-focused platform can sit between POS + channels to keep menu governance consistent across locations and ordering platforms. KitchenHub’s positioning is built around unified menu/order plumbing and modular integrations for partners who want control of workflows and data.

A quick implementation checklist (90 days)

Weeks 1–2

• Add IPT and attach-rate monitoring
• Identify top 20 items most impacted by downsizing/mods
• Audit loyalty thresholds vs average check trend

Weeks 3–6

• Launch 3–5 “small-but-premium” items or presets
• Build smarter bundles (not bigger bundles)
• Train staff scripts: “lighter portion” as normal choice, not a “diet” callout

Weeks 7–12

• Rework loyalty to include frequency rewards
• Add location cohort reporting (which stores are compressing fastest)
• Align menus across all channels so the new architecture is consistent everywhere

GLP-1s aren’t a restaurant apocalypse. They’re a slow rewrite of what “a normal order” looks like.

The winners won’t be the brands that slap “GLP-1 friendly” on a menu board. They’ll be the ones (and the resellers) who rebuild the menu + reporting + loyalty machine so smaller appetites don’t automatically mean smaller revenue.

If you’re a reseller: this is a real consultative wedge.
If you’re an operator: ask your POS partner what they can measure beyond AOV and traffic.