AI for chefs

Shifts in workplace routines, dietary preferences, and the rise of to-go orders are reshaping how people dine—and restaurants need to keep up. Don’t worry, we’ll show you how 

Plus, the founder behind Eater and Resy reveals the one factor that determines whether guests come back. We’ll break it down. And a New York City pop-up chef shares how he built a 10,000-person waitlist.

Jack be nimble. Restaurants are adapting to rising costs by implementing a familiar playbook: being flexible, being innovative and simplifying menus. Where have we heard this before? Oh, right. The pandemic!   

Cross-utilization: It’s a strategy worth embracing if you want to cut costs in a competitive, uncertain economy. Learn some best practices  for using ingredients more efficiently across your menu.

Michelin tired. When chefs stop chasing accolades, they build a workplace where cooks “aren’t afraid to have kids, get therapy, or— gasp—say they’re tired,” according to award-winning chef Matt Jennings.

Here’s a tip: If you’re considering implementing a service charge, there are several things you first need to know, including how it differs from tipping and how to actually use it in your restaurant. 

Wage rage: How do you feel about restaurants charging customers a 3% “kitchen appreciation” fee? An unscientific poll finds that most people hate it and blame management for not paying staff enough. 

‘A phone with a good camera is all you need to tell a compelling story’

Before even deciding where to eat, nearly 68% of prospective diners check a restaurant’s social media before visiting.  

And while places like TikTok and Instagram are great for seeing real-time updates, having a strong social media presence is also about building a solid first impression. According to Electro IQ, 78% of people believe restaurants with a strong social media presence are more likely to succeed.

Amer Tadayon is the founder and CEO of Lucihub, a video-production platform that simplifies the video creation process. Here, the Las Vegas-based entrepreneur shares with us his insights on why restaurants should make room for a camera in their kitchen. -Julien Perry

What's the easiest way for restaurants to utilize their phones to create engaging social media content?

These days, a smartphone with a good camera is all you need to tell a compelling visual story. A basic understanding of your phone’s camera settings goes a long way. Using a gimbal can help you capture steady shots, and if you're recording audio, a quality lavalier mic will make a big difference. Learn a few simple camera moves like pans and tilts, and you’ll instantly boost the production value of your videos. There are plenty of free resources online to get you started. 

What's your advice for someone who thinks videos are just a trend and nothing they really need to engage in for their restaurant?

YouTube is the second most-visited site in the world, and 82% of all consumer internet traffic is video. Video clearly isn’t a trend; it’s the dominant way people consume content today. And for restaurants, the benefits are even greater. Let’s start with content: From food prep and plating to mixology and behind-the-scenes moments, restaurant videos are inherently captivating. Food-related content consistently ranks among the top three categories on YouTube, and stories like restaurant walk-throughs, recipes and “what I ate” clips regularly go viral on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. On social media, video content generates two to three times more engagement than static images. Today, video isn’t just a trend; it’s how we live, shop and discover.

What’s the best way to get started? 

Like with anything, getting started is the hardest part. So start by focusing on consistently creating content, whatever that cadence may be. These days it’s not necessarily about quality, it’s about story and connection. And video captures all of it.

These evolving dining habits could affect your restaurant

A return to work, diversified food preferences and a demand for on-the-go meals are changing the way people are eating, requiring restaurants to adapt their offerings to the evolving dining landscape.

According to new data collected by Circana, a market research and technology company:

Early breakfasts are becoming more popular, with 39% of consumers eating before 8 a.m.

Lunchtime is being replaced by on-the-go meals, while dinner is centered around heat-and-eat or ready-to-eat options.

Snacks are finding their way into meals, if not replacing them altogether. In 2024, 37% of consumers were looking for quick bites instead of larger meals.

Why it matters: Staying on top of macrotrends helps restaurants stay relevant and reach new customers. That might mean expanding morning delivery hours, adding staff to handle to-go orders during peak times, or promoting specials for the morning commute or lunch crowd. Emerging dining trends offer fresh opportunities to grow your customer base—while still keeping your regulars happy. (Modern Restaurant Management)

This single factor may decide whether a diner returns

Can you win customers over with your food alone? One industry expert doesn’t believe it’s possible, insisting that guests make up their mind about a restaurant as soon as they set foot inside.

Ben Leventhal has built a successful career out of brand identity. He co-founded Eater, Resy and most recently Blackbird Labs. On a recent episode of "The meez Podcast," he posits that restaurants are more about vibe than food, and that when you walk in the door, the energy that comes at you and how you react to it can predict whether or not you’ll enjoy your visit.

“I think that there’s this sort of idea that restaurants have the course of a meal to sell you, and I think by and large that’s not the case,” he says. 

“If you walk into a restaurant and you’re not feeling it, you have a humongous hole to dig yourself out of as a restaurant.”

Why it matters: First impressions are critically important. Whether it’s your signage, your music, your design or the general attitude of your staff, everything creates a vibe that can’t be erased through food alone. It’s important that a guest’s initial impression of your restaurant is spot-on. Otherwise, there’s a good chance they won’t return. (The meez Podcast)

How chefs are using AI in their restaurants

Artificial intelligence will likely never replace a chef’s palette, but it’s quickly becoming a useful tool in restaurants across the globe.

"You have to move with the times," says Matan Zaken, who runs the one-star Nhome restaurant in Paris. He says thanks to ChatGPT, he can access an entire database of food photos, recipes and chemical analysis—the latter of which has helped him create ingredient pairings he otherwise may have never considered, such as peanuts and garlic.

Food chemistry expert Raphael Haumont seconds this approach to AI. "Perhaps the computer can find things in common that are completely unexpected. For example, chocolate and cucumber. We know now that it works."

In addition to ingredient pairings, AI software can also suggest new ways to plate food by analyzing hundreds of thousands of cookbooks at a time.

But other chefs aren’t quite as inspired, holding tight to the ideology that restaurants and cooking are about hospitality and the human touch, things that can't be replicated by computers.

Why it Matters: Even if you don’t want to use AI to help create dishes or find inspiration, there are other ways that AI can be incredibly helpful in your restaurant, from writing emails and job postings to estimating food costs and carbon footprints. Some AI-based services can also help restaurant operators predict demand. These types of services are only going to get more ubiquitous and intuitive as they integrate with human behavior. What may seem unusual and perhaps even threatening today will likely be totally normalized in the future. It’s only a matter of time before AI becomes commonplace in restaurants, in one form or another. (Barron's)

72%

Guests who say they check a restaurant's website before dining there.

(Back of House)

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"Don't sandwich feedback. Just be clear about it. If you're giving someone criticism it doesn't need to be preceded or followed by a compliment. You're masking that feedback and I think you're actually making it so it's not heard." 

– Aaron Ginsberg, chief partner officer for Resy, Tock and American Express Global Dining.

(🎧 Hospitality On The Rise)

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