Updated February 24, 2026
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how we do business, and the restaurant industry is no exception. In fact, a recent Deloitte survey found that eight in ten restaurant executives have plans to increase their investments in AI technology in 2026.
AI may have been just a popular buzzword just a few years ago. Now, restaurants of every shape and size are putting AI-powered tools to practical use. A growing number of restaurants are using AI-powered tools to enhance the customer experience, streamline back of house tasks, improve staff scheduling, and much more.
In short, AI technology is rapidly becoming the go-to solution for countless familiar industry challenges. But of course, AI technology can take a lot of forms. Some AI-powered solutions will make more sense for your restaurant than others.
So before you sign up for the latest and trendiest developments in AI-powered restaurant tech, let’s take a closer look at how other restaurant operators are using AI to improve their operations.
#1: Enhance the Customer Experience
Restaurants that invest in AI are especially focused on enhancing the customer experience. In fact, Deloitte reports that this is the number one use of AI-based tech in the restaurant industry today. AI tools like automated chatbots, voice ordering systems, and data-driven loyalty programs are becoming more commonplace in restaurants, especially among larger chains.
For example, in January of 2026, Atlanta-based pizza chain Papa John’s announced a new partnership with Google. The chain became the first to use Google’s Gemini AI system to power its new customer-facing ordering agent.
The virtual agent is available by phone, text, and chat, and will help customers decide how much to order, navigate food allergies, identify relevant coupons, redeem loyalty perks, and more. The result is an experience that is not only fast and convenient, but also more personalized.
This is essential. Today’s restaurant patrons have come to expect more personalized experiences. AI-powered loyalty programs can help restaurants deliver on this expectation by gathering data on customer preferences, analyzing purchasing patterns, and delivering actionable insights.
Restaurants can use these insights in order to tailor marketing campaigns, special offers, and menu recommendations to customer segments and even directly to individuals. This type of personalization not only enhances the dining experience, but it can be a major driver of repeat business.
#2: Streamline Inventory Management
Papa John’s isn’t the only pizza chain using AI to improve its operations. Domino’s Pizza announced its own big tech partnership in 2025, joining with Microsoft to implement an AI-powered inventory management solution.
AI-powered inventory management systems use something called predictive analytics to help streamline ordering and prevent waste. With predictive analytics, inventory management systems use historical data on sales, foot traffic, and other factors to predict your day-to-day inventory needs with greater precision.
The leading inventory management systems can even factor in external conditions like weather or local events to help you anticipate foot traffic and sales more accurately. AI-powered inventory management tools are also helping restaurants:
- Prevent stockouts
- Reduce food waste due to spoilage
- Optimize menu presentation based on factors like customer preferences, sales history, and profit margins on individual items
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#3: Schedule and Train More Efficiently
Staffing challenges are nothing new for restaurant operators. But AI is providing all kinds of new tools for managing these challenges. The latest generation of AI-powered scheduling platforms makes it possible for restaurants to optimize staffing levels based on advanced analysis of data points like sales patterns, customer flow, and employee performance. Operators can use these data points to forecast foot traffic and staff every shift accordingly.
AI-powered scheduling platforms can also help you track important performance metrics in real time, identify opportunities for improvement, and even automate scheduling based on historical data.
Restaurants that use these tools to streamline their labor management typically report improved employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and increased overall operational efficiency.
Scheduling platforms are often available through larger work management systems alongside tools for HR, payroll management, onboarding, and especially for enhanced training.
For instance, the Starbucks coffee chain recently began rolling out a new AI-powered “barista assistant” that it calls the “green dot.” The green dot is a digital training resource designed to answer any questions that might come up in the middle of a busy shift, from equipment repair to obscure drink recipes and everything in between.
Choose the Right AI-Powered Solutions for Your Needs
You don’t need to operate a chain restaurant to take advantage of advances in AI-powered technology. These tools are becoming increasingly accessible, affordable, and user-friendly to businesses of every size.
This means that small chains and independent restaurants can now leverage AI-powered tools to enhance customer experiences, streamline inventory management, manage staff with greater efficiency, and more.
Still, it’s important to choose wisely. You don’t want to adopt new technology simply for the sake of keeping up with the competition. You want to choose AI-powered tools that actually solve real challenges for your business. Schedule your free, personalized consultation with one of our in-house tech experts and we’ll work together to figure out exactly what you need.
