When asked how the tariff chaos of the first part of 2025 has affected their work life, 44% of restaurant development + design readers said it has been difficult or complicated to navigate.
An additional 33% noted that the most meaningful impact tariffs had on their projects was raising prices.
Some readers expanded on their tariff challenges. One noted that rising tariffs “affected the entire process” and another stated that it had created “anxiety among employees and customers.” One respondent lost one project so far due to issues related to tariffs and another noted that “uncertainty… is causing clients to hold on projects until they are settled.” Frustrations with the uncertainty were mentioned repeatedly and one survey taker noted that “uncertainty has made [things] difficult on suppliers, restaurateurs and consumers.”
Tariffs affecting costs:: “Prices are creeping up, lead times are not improving and clients [are] holding on development until uncertainty … subsides.” However, one noted “Some prices have gone up, but alternatives were found that did not affect overall costs.”
Tariffs have also added to workloads: “Customers are requesting multiple options with multiple purchase dates to minimize the impact of cost increases. This triples the work required to close a deal on a project.”
Finally, just 23% said that the tariff news and policies hadn’t really affected them at work so far.
rd+d regularly surveys subscribers on the state of restaurant development and design. This survey was fielded in June 2025. Subscribe to The Pulse to get rd+d’s surveys and results delivered to your inbox six times a year.
