AI for Restaurants and food service
Margins are thin and the kitchen doesn't wait. Give me back an hour in the office.
Draft replies to online reviews
Reviews pile up, and the angry ones are the hardest to answer well at the end of a shift. The AI drafts a short, calm reply in your voice, and you read it before posting.
Time back: Gets the review backlog answered without writing each reply while you're still annoyed.
Prompt to copy:
Draft a reply from [RESTAURANT NAME] to the review below. Review: [PASTE THE REVIEW TEXT] What we know about it, if anything: [E.G., 'WE WERE SHORT-STAFFED THAT NIGHT' OR 'NOTHING'] How to reach the owner or manager: [EMAIL OR PHONE] Our voice: [E.G., WARM, PLAIN, NEIGHBORLY] Rules: Thank them, keep it under 80 words, and don't argue. Do not offer refunds, comps or discounts unless I say so. Do not admit or deny a food-safety problem; if the review mentions getting sick, write only a short line inviting them to contact the owner directly. Do not invent details about their visit that are not in the review. If you need something I did not give you, ask me.
Watch out: Read each reply out loud before posting, and any review that mentions illness gets a phone call from the owner, not just a posted reply.
Turn your procedures into station cards and checklists
Opening and closing checklists, station setup and new-hire basics usually live in one person's head. The AI turns your written or dictated procedures into short cards staff can follow.
Time back: Cuts the time a manager spends repeating the same setup instructions to every new hire.
Prompt to copy:
Turn our procedure below into a one-page checklist card for the [STATION OR TASK, E.G., LINE OPENING / DISH / CLOSING] at [RESTAURANT NAME]. Our procedure: [PASTE OR DICTATE IT] Rules: Keep every step, in order. Copy every temperature, time and chemical ratio exactly as I wrote it, and do not invent steps or add any food-safety numbers of your own. Short lines, one action each, plain words a new hire can follow. If a step is unclear or seems to be missing, ask me about it instead of filling it in.
Watch out: The kitchen manager checks every temperature, time and ratio against your written procedure and local health rules before the card goes up.
Write menu descriptions and specials posts
New menu items and weekly specials need a line on the menu and a post. The AI drafts both from the ingredients and prep you give it, and you check the result before it prints or posts.
Time back: Gets the week's specials written and posted in one sitting instead of in the middle of service.
Prompt to copy:
Write a menu description (under 25 words) and a short social post for [DISH NAME] at [RESTAURANT NAME]. Ingredients and prep: [LIST EVERY INGREDIENT AND HOW IT'S MADE] Price and when it's available: [PRICE, DAYS OR DATES] Our voice: [E.G., SIMPLE, HOMEY] Rules: Use only these facts. Do not describe the dish as gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, dairy-free or any other dietary claim unless I tell you to. Do not invent ingredients, origins ('local,' 'house-made') or awards. If a detail is missing, ask me before you write.
Watch out: The kitchen manager checks every ingredient and dietary claim against the actual recipe before it prints or posts.
First step
Take the five reviews that most need a reply, run them through the review prompt, and read each draft out loud before posting. If you ever use AI to screen job applicants, check /tools/law-check first.