The Best AI Tools for Restaurants in 2025
It used to be that running a restaurant meant good food, good service, and maybe some elbow grease.
Now? You need a tech stack, a marketing strategy, and a good robot to run your kitchen.
Just kidding. But if you’re smart about it, a few AI tools in your back pocket can help.
Whether you’re running a full-service restaurant, a brewery, a coffee shop, or a pizza place with delivery and takeout, AI is quickly becoming the quiet team member helping you do more with less.
But not all tools are created equal. Some save you time, some save you money, and some just sound fancy without doing much of anything.
Here are the AI tools we’re actually seeing restaurants and breweries use in 2025 to make better decisions, streamline operations, and boost profitability.
Reservation and Waitlist Management
Let’s start with the front of house. Tools like OpenTable, Resy, and Yelp Waitlist have been around for years, but now they’re using AI to better predict no-show rates, stagger reservations to reduce bottlenecks, and send out reminders that actually get customers to show up.
If you’re still using a notebook and a hostess with a sharpie to manage reservations, we’re not judging. But these tools will likely seat more people and waste fewer tables.
Labor Scheduling and Forecasting
One of the biggest headaches in hospitality? Scheduling. The new generation of tools like 7shifts, Harri, and Restaurant365 use AI to predict staffing needs based on sales trends, weather, local events, and employee availability.
They’re not perfect, but they’re usually more accurate than the gut-check method and give managers a head start on avoiding overtime, understaffing, or frustrating shift swaps.
Inventory and Ordering
Spoilage, shortages, and over-ordering are classic profit-killers. Tools like Toast, MarketMan, and xtraCHEF use AI to help restaurants track usage patterns, anticipate demand, and even place auto-orders before you run out of key ingredients.
And if you’ve ever discovered six cases of wilted cilantro in the walk-in because someone forgot to rotate inventory, you’ll appreciate what this tech can do.
Dynamic Pricing
Still pricing brunch like it’s 2020?
AI tools like Sauce Pricing and Juicer are helping fast casual and full-service spots adjust pricing dynamically based on demand, time of day, and ingredient costs.
If you’ve ever flown on a plane or booked a hotel, you’ve seen this kind of dynamic pricing in action. Now it’s coming for your Tuesday night happy hour menu.
Marketing and Customer Retention
Whether you like it or not, you’re in the data game. Loyalty programs, online ordering platforms, and email/SMS campaigns are all being powered by AI to personalize offers, segment customers, and nudge the right people at the right time.
Tools like Popmenu, Incentivio, Thanx and newcomer Owner are designed specifically for restaurants and help you make better use of the customer data you already have.
If your current marketing strategy is “post brunch pics and hope for the best,” these tools will give you actual return on effort.
AI That Isn’t Worth It (Yet)
We’re not here to sell you stuff you don’t need. There are plenty of shiny tools out there promising robot chefs, holographic servers, and AI-powered wine pairing menus.
Maybe someday. But for now, we’re seeing the most value in the boring but important stuff: labor, inventory, pricing, and marketing.
How to Use AI Tools the Right Way
AI isn’t going to run your restaurant.
But it can help you:
- Cut waste
- Save time on admin
- Increase table turnover
- Predict labor costs
- Communicate better with guests
The trick is choosing tools that integrate with your POS and don’t add more work than they save.
Start small, test one thing, and go from there.
And if you’re not sure where to begin, that’s where we come in.
At U-Nique Accounting, we help restaurant and brewery owners not only choose tools but connect them to their books, budgets, and dashboards.
Because software should help you run a more profitable business, not just give you another login to forget.
Until next time.
By MATT CIANCIARULO
