Guide

AI agents for restaurants & cafés

During service, nobody has time to answer the phone, the Instagram DMs, and the "do you have gluten-free options?" email. An agent covers the gaps: reply to reservation and catering inquiries, answer FAQs from your own sheet, text back missed calls, draft review replies, and flag when your hours or menu are out of date somewhere online. You still decide who gets a table, what goes on the menu, and anything to do with allergies. This guide is for independent restaurants, cafés, bakeries and takeaways. If you already use a booking or POS system, the agent works around it, not instead of it.

What to hand to an agent first

  • Missed calls during service

    A call that rings out at peak hours is often a booking or a large order. Text back within a minute, apologise that you're in service, and ask whether they want to book, order, or ask something — then route to your booking link or hold the request for you.

  • Reservation, private dining & catering inquiries

    Collect date, party size, time, occasion, and dietary needs, and hold a request for you to confirm. Catering and private hire get a short intake so you can quote properly. Don't let the agent confirm a large booking or deposit on its own.

  • FAQ answers in your voice

    Hours, parking, kids' menu, dog-friendly, BYO, corkage, takeaway or delivery options, and do-you-take-walk-ins from a FAQ you wrote.

  • Review replies (draft only)

    Draft a short, specific reply to new reviews each morning. Happy ones get a thank-you; unhappy ones get flagged to you with a suggested reply. You approve before anything is posted.

  • Keep your listings accurate

    Hours, holiday closures, menu links and service modes drift across your website, Google profile and delivery apps. Have the agent check them weekly and give you a list of mismatches to fix. It suggests; you change.

Not sure which jobs fit your business?

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4 copy-paste agent prompts, a business brief template and a 7-day plan, as a PDF. Plus this guide's templates.

Ready-made use cases

  1. 01Missed-call text-back that books the job
    Every missed call gets an instant text that qualifies the lead and offers a booking link.
    ~6h/week · estimate
  2. 0224/7 FAQ support in your voice
    The agent answers common customer questions from your docs and hands off anything tricky.
    ~8h/week · estimate
  3. 03Get more 5-star reviews automatically
    After each completed job the agent sends a friendly review request and flags unhappy customers to you first.
    ~2h/week · estimate
  4. 04Never miss a lead follow-up
    The agent checks your CRM or inbox for leads that went quiet and drafts the next follow-up.
    ~4h/week · estimate
  5. 05Win back and upsell past customers
    The agent finds past customers due for a repeat job or upgrade and drafts an offer.
    ~3h/week · estimate

Example: Grok Bot setup

Grok Bot routine: Missed-call text-back that books the job
Schedule: Always on (missed calls)

When I miss a call, text the caller within 1 minute: apologize, ask what they need, and offer two booking times from my calendar. Log the lead and notify me with a summary.

Rules: draft first, never send or post anything external without my approval. Keep summaries short.

Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude and n8n versions: all templates

Keep these human

  • Guests should always be able to reach a human.
  • Allergy and dietary questions: the agent collects them, the kitchen answers them. Never promise a dish is allergen-free.
  • Public review replies, refunds and comps stay with you until you trust the routine.
  • Never confirm a large booking, deposit, or catering order until you approve.
  • Complaints about food safety or illness alert you immediately.
  • Don't paste card numbers or staff personal details into prompts.
  • Start in draft mode: the agent prepares, you approve, then you loosen the leash routine by routine.

Get the free AI Team Starter Kit

4 copy-paste agent prompts, a business brief template and a 7-day plan, as a PDF. Plus this guide's templates.

FAQ

What should an AI agent do first for restaurants & cafés?

Missed calls during service: A call that rings out at peak hours is often a booking or a large order. Text back within a minute, apologise that you're in service, and ask whether they want to book, order, or ask something — then route to your booking link or hold the request for you. Reservation, private dining & catering inquiries: Collect date, party size, time, occasion, and dietary needs, and hold a request for you to confirm. Catering and private hire get a short intake so you can quote properly. Don't let the agent confirm a large booking or deposit on its own. FAQ answers in your voice: Hours, parking, kids' menu, dog-friendly, BYO, corkage, takeaway or delivery options, and do-you-take-walk-ins from a FAQ you wrote.

What should stay human?

Guests should always be able to reach a human. Allergy and dietary questions: the agent collects them, the kitchen answers them. Never promise a dish is allergen-free. Public review replies, refunds and comps stay with you until you trust the routine. Never confirm a large booking, deposit, or catering order until you approve. Complaints about food safety or illness alert you immediately. Don't paste card numbers or staff personal details into prompts. Start in draft mode: the agent prepares, you approve, then you loosen the leash routine by routine.

Is there a ready-made template?

Yes. Start with "Missed-call text-back that books the job": copy-ready Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude and n8n templates are at https://whatshouldmybotdo.com/use-cases/missed-call-text-back#templates.

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