Restaurants embrace AI Technology to revolutionise business growth

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been making significant strides in revolutionizing the restaurant industry. From streamlining operations to enhancing customer experiences, AI is becoming an indispensable tool for restaurant owners and managers looking to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.
One major area where AI is making an impact is in customer service. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are being deployed by restaurants to handle online reservations, takeout orders, and customer inquiries. These AI systems are not only able to efficiently manage a large volume of requests but also provide personalized recommendations based on customer preferences and historical data.

AI helping with restaurant reservations: no more waiting on the phone and lost customers, artificial intelligence will take care of it. The Chiama.ai project developed by Verona-based Software company COLIBRYX and comms consultancy Amo1999, and is based on AI capable of managing restaurant reservations for both calls and table arrangements. Call we are always free, says the slogan. The payoff is more illustrative: «Artificial intelligence that answers the phone for you».

Chiama.ai was born and promises to solve the problems of all customers and restaurateurs. Based on its algorithm, it is also able to manage the entire booking as well as group booking. It operates 24by7 every day of the week, this means that even on closing days or when the restaurant staff is busy. The project was born from the collaboration of Colibryx, a software house from Verona, and Amo1999, a communication and marketing consultancy company from Verona. Launched just a few months ago, it is already being used at a number of restaurants. One of the first to use it, Amo1999 reports, was the Locanda del Viandante in Villafranca di Verona. If a customer calls, the virtual assistant introduces himself and asks what he can help with. Initially, the owner of the restaurant uploads some standard information (questions and answers) to allow the artificial intelligence to receive and sort it based on the customer's requests. The more requests the AI ​​handles, the more it learns and improves its performance. It is also able to provide answers regarding special requests such as the arrival of a disabled person in a restaurant, a child who needs a booster seat, whether there is availability of dishes for vegans, celiacs or those with food intolerances.

The manager of the venue has control, at any time, of the actions that the AI ​​carries out: a system records calls and everything related to reservations: cancellations, advances, postponements. If the venue is full, this is also communicated. If the customer is not satisfied with the virtual assistant, he can be redirected to the restaurant manager upon request. The system is applicable to any type of venue, even to pizzerias that do home delivery and takeaway. The Call.ai management system is customizable and is able to coordinate take-away pizza bookings, for example, based on the pizza chef's processing time of a pizza so as not to clog the rider delivery flows or have delays.

Another example of AI in restaurants is WaitHero - the first app that personalizes the restaurant menu, based on your intolerances, allergies, cultures and religions, but also on your culinary preferences. All thanks to Artificial Intelligence. In short, a selected, ad hoc menu. WaitHero is the first app that uses artificial intelligence to learn what one's tastes and culinary needs are, reshaping the menu of a restaurant or a food delivery website so that you are presented with proposals that meets your needs and dietary requirements. The advantage is two-fold: on one hand for the customers who gets a menu perfectly tailored to their specific needs; on the other hand for the restaurant which optimizes the time of an order given that the waiter will no longer has to go through a list of gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian category dishes. Mirco Bulega, chairman and founder, explains: "The objective is to improve the experience when ordering and in restaurants both for the benefit of the restaurateurs but above all for the customers, with particular reference to those who have intolerances or allergies or who by preferences would like to have a personalized menu based on their needs". The same also applies to the beverage part. Thanks to the ability to learn from habits, each app will self-personalize its user's profile, offering as a result those labels that best match the chosen dishes. A winning model that is currently already operational in 1,500 locations, managing more than 200 thousand orders in the city of Turin since its recent launch.

AI is also being utilized to analyze customer data to identify trends and preferences. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, restaurants can gain valuable insights into customer behavior, allowing them to tailor their menus, marketing efforts, and overall strategies to better meet customer demands.

The restaurants of the future? Artificial intelligence will serve customers. The 'Ricci' project, an acronym for 'intelligent catering with interactive involvement' according to its creators, "was developed with the aim of making the culinary experience intelligent and engaging".

Ricci is a cutting-edge service aimed at restaurateurs, offering an innovative solution based on artificial intelligence. By installing tablets equipped with sophisticated artificial intelligence software on each restaurant table, customers can interact directly with the device to place their order. Ricci will replace the additional dining room staff, but the creators assure, "there will not be a real replacement, but the relationship between waiter and diner will improve. The magic of Ricci is interaction,” they say. With the Ricci system, the ordering process will become simple and autonomous, also allowing the collection of information on consumption through interactive entertainment. Engaging interaction with Ricci will improve customer satisfaction and reduce wait times. Specifically, there are four advantages of this system: operational efficiency with the service that simplifies the ordering process and reduces waiting times and simple payments that take place directly through the system, eliminating queues at the checkout. But still storing customer preferences to offer tailored experiences and easy feedback so that customers can leave reviews directly through the system.

The interactive restaurant project was created thanks to the collaboration between Ingrasell, a marketing and communications studio based in Rutigliano, and Mav Reality, a software house also from Rutigliano. “It is still a prototype – clarifies Doriana Ingravallo, CEO and art director of Ingrasell – it is still in the experimental phase – she specifies. It will take two years to finalize but everything so far indicates a positive outcome for both clients and restaurants.” Furthermore, AI is enhancing the overall dining experience by personalizing recommendations, suggesting pairings, and even creating dynamic menus based on factors such as weather, local events, and seasonal trends. By leveraging AI, restaurants can deliver highly customized and memorable dining experiences, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

These restaurant customer experience AI applications show how both the restaurant trade and customers can be improved and streamlined; as well as incredibly personalized. AI will continue to reshape the restaurant industry by improving operational efficiency, optimizing customer interactions, and providing valuable insights. As AI technology continues to advance, its role in the restaurant trade will undoubtedly become even more pronounced, enabling establishments to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.