Restaurants use AI tools to cut food waste and save staff time

In short: More restaurants are starting to use AI tools to reduce waste, lower costs, and free staff to focus on guests.

What's going on

Restaurants are beginning to bring artificial intelligence, or AI (software that spots patterns and makes suggestions), into day-to-day work behind the scenes. The goal is to spend less time on admin and more time cooking and serving.

In London, the Fallow Group, which runs Fallow, Fowl, and Roe, is testing AI features on handheld payment and ordering devices. Managing director Julia Gilbert says these tools can cut the steps needed to take orders and answer questions at the table. She argues that can give staff more time for eye contact and conversation, rather than focusing on screens and notes.

Fallow is also trialling Peckish, a system that scans photos of fridges to track what is in stock and estimate how much to buy. Think of it like a fast inventory check that helps you avoid buying food you will not use (and then throwing it away). The group also plans to roll out All Gravy, an AI-powered internal communication app, and load recipes into it so staff can quickly check allergens and suggest suitable dishes.

Other groups are building similar systems. The Evolv Collection says it is developing an in-house tool that lets chefs speak orders into a phone so the system can place them automatically.

Even so, hospitality has been slower to adopt AI than many industries. PwC has pointed to older tech systems, a lack of AI skills, and a desire to protect the human side of service. A survey cited in the report says nearly one in three UK hospitality businesses did not use AI as of March.

What to watch

More restaurants may add AI for bookings and customer questions, like AI phone agents that sound human. But operators say they will need to be careful, since obviously AI-written marketing can put off guests who value authenticity.

Source: Financial Times