From AI sommeliers to automated kitchen management, the food service industry is on the brink of an AI transformation. We explore the trends shaping the next year.
The food service industry is entering a new phase of AI adoption. Early implementations focused on simple tasks like chatbot-based ordering and basic inventory alerts. The next wave of innovation targets the core operations of running a restaurant: menu engineering, dynamic pricing, kitchen workflow automation, and hyper-personalised customer experiences.
AI-Powered Menu Engineering
Forward-thinking restaurants are using AI to analyse the relationship between menu design, item placement, pricing, and customer ordering patterns. These systems can recommend which items to feature, how to price them for optimal margin, and when to rotate seasonal offerings. The result is menus that are more profitable and more appealing to customers, a combination that manual analysis rarely achieves.
Kitchen Workflow Automation
AI is beginning to coordinate kitchen operations in real time. By analysing incoming orders, current prep status, and cooking times, AI systems can sequence orders optimally, alert staff to upcoming demand spikes, and ensure that all components of a table's order are ready simultaneously. Early adopters report 15-20% improvements in kitchen throughput during peak hours.
Hyper-Personalised Dining
Customer data, including order history, dietary preferences, and feedback, enables increasingly personalised experiences. AI systems can recommend dishes based on past preferences, adjust recommendations for dietary restrictions, and even personalise portion sizes. For delivery and quick-service restaurants, personalised digital menus can increase average order value by showing each customer the items they are most likely to enjoy.
The restaurants that thrive in the coming years will be those that view AI not as a cost-cutting tool but as a capability multiplier: technology that allows smaller teams to deliver better experiences at higher margins. Solutions like Dhaba.ai from QverLabs demonstrate how vertical AI built for specific industries consistently outperforms generic tools.
