You probably feel it too, that weird mix of curiosity and fear whenever someone mentions AI and restaurants in the same sentence. On the one hand, it sounds like salvation. On the other, it feels like a threat. And if you’ve spent any real time in this business – grease under your fingernails, short-staffed on a Friday night, praying your vendor actually delivers the tomatoes before lunch service – you know exactly what’s at stake.
AI promises help. Real help. But it also threatens to flatten what makes restaurants human. So let’s break it down. Where it belongs, where it absolutely doesn’t, and why you might lose the very thing that keeps your guests coming back.
Where AI Belongs: In the Boring Back Office
First, you should use AI, especially for the parts of the business that burn you out.
Inventory Management
How many hours have you lost trying to figure out why your lettuce order always overruns by Thursday? AI-powered inventory tools can forecast usage based on historical sales patterns, flag anomalies, and even recommend restocking amounts. It’s like having a data analyst on your team, minus the salary.
Scheduling
Nightmare, right? Especially when two team members switch shifts without telling anyone and you only find out during the Saturday brunch rush. AI can generate optimized rosters based on availability, footfall predictions, and labor cost ceilings. And notify everyone automatically.
Menu Profitability
You probably have dishes you love but they don’t sell. Or worse, dishes that do sell but barely turn a profit. AI-driven POS systems can flag these in seconds. You’ll find yourself looking at data like contribution margin, guest satisfaction scores, and prep time all in one dashboard. That’s not just useful, it’s essential.
Real-life Example
One restaurant using an AI-enabled POS discovered their most popular item, an avocado chicken burger, was dragging down margins due to seasonal produce spikes. By trimming portion sizes and up-selling add-ons, they reversed the loss and increased profit by 20% in two months. That’s power you can’t ignore.
Where AI Doesn’t Belong: The Heart of Hospitality
Now the hard truth: AI can’t replace what you and your team do at the front of house. It can mimic it. It can script it. But it can’t be it. Three very real reasons why:
AI Can’t Read People (and People Lie)
You’ve probably had your own Mr. Fussy—that guest who always finds something wrong. The steak’s too charred, the wine too cold, the sauce too rich. Every time. And if you’re new to this, you might try to fix the food. But give it a few weeks, and you learn the truth: it’s not about the food. It’s a game. Maybe a need for control. Maybe just habit. But when you call their bluff, with a bit of empathy, not confrontation, they usually back off.
AI would never catch that. It would tag them as “frequent complainer,” maybe flag their account. But you? You know when a complaint isn’t really a complaint. And you know how to handle it without alienating someone who, ironically, might be your most loyal guest. That instinct is an emotional radar and can’t be trained into an algorithm. Not yet. Hopefully not ever.
AI Can’t Create Magic Moments
Every restaurant has them. A couple on the verge of tears. A solo diner nervously scanning the room. A family too tired to speak. And then something shifts. You comp a dessert, send out a small amuse-bouche, or simply stop by to say, “We’re really glad you’re here tonight.”
One place did this when they noticed a woman alone on Valentine’s Day. They brought her a rose and a mocktail on the house, no questions asked. She posted about it later, tagging the restaurant and calling it the “kindest gesture of the year.” That’s not something AI is going to suggest in a pop-up window.
It’s not about trends or customer data, it’s about presence. You’re there, in the moment, reading the energy of the room. Adjusting. Caring. You can’t code that.
AI Doesn’t Lose Sleep Over a Bad Review
You know that awful feeling you get when someone posts a two-star review? And it’s vague? “Food was okay. Service meh. Not sure I’d return.” You rack your brain trying to figure out what happened. You go over receipts, ask the floor manager, check who was on shift. Because it matters.
AI? It’ll log the review. Maybe send an apology email. Maybe suggest a service training module. But it won’t carry the weight of it. You do. Because that’s what professionals do. You care. And weirdly, that’s the difference between good restaurants and great ones. The people behind them take things personally. Not in a fragile way, but in a way that says: “This matters. You matter.” That’s not something AI understands.
Don’t Over-Automate
If you rely too heavily on automation with QR-code menus, robotic service, or zero human interaction, you risk killing the very reason people dine out in the first place. People want convenience. But they also want connection. They want to feel welcomed, seen, cared for. Especially post-pandemic, when human contact became rare and precious. Strip that away, and you’re no better than a vending machine with mood lighting.
So What To Do?
AI is amazing at structure, systems, and spotting what you miss in the rush. You want it in your spreadsheets, your fridge logs, and your scheduling software. But don’t let it creep into the part of the business that’s actually alive.
Use AI like a sous chef, not the executive chef. Let it handle the math. Let it flag blind spots. Let it streamline the parts of the business that suck your time and kill your creativity.
But never let it handle the magic. Because for the time being at least, that job is yours.
Image Credit: https://https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/barman-with-fruits_2280596.htm
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Churrasco Phuket Steakhouse serves affordable Wagyu and Black Angus steaks and burgers. We are open daily from 12noon to 11pm at Jungceylon Shopping Center in Patong / Phuket.
We are family-friendly and offer free parking and Wi-Fi for guests. See our menus, reserve your table, find our location, and check all guest reviews here:
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