Restaurant Chatbots: Use Cases & Best Practices (2025)

Senior Writer: Jainy Patel

Reading Time: 9 Minutes

Published : July 13, 2025

Restaurant Chatbot Overview

A restaurant bot is an AI-driven digital host that interacts with guests and staff via your website, social media, or chat windows, automating tasks like restaurant reservations and answering questions. These intelligent bots leverage NLP and machine learning to improve responses and personalize over time.

Key Features of Restaurant Chatbots

• Quick and Accurate Responses: Provides instant, consistent answers to common queries like restaurant’s menu options and hours.
• 24/7 Availability: Operates round the clock to manage bookings and inquiries beyond business hours.
• No-Code/Low-Code Setup Options: Allows easy deployment and customization without coding skills.
• Data Privacy and Security Compliance: Ensures that customer data is protected in accordance with laws such as GDPR and CCPA.
• Multi-Channel Integration: Works across websites, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and voice assistants for seamless customer reach.

Top Use Cases for Restaurant Chatbots

Customer-Facing Use Cases

• Taking Reservations & Managing Waitlists
• Online Ordering & Payments
• Menu Exploration & Personalized Picks
• Order Tracking & Delivery Updates
• Allergen & Nutrition Info On-Demand
• FAQs & Instant Support
• Promoting Deals & Loyalty Programs
• Event Booking & Reminders
• Collecting Feedback & Review

Operational Use Cases

• Staff Scheduling & Shift Swaps
• Inventory Alerts
• Internal Staff Messaging
• Training & Onboarding Support
• Incident Reporting & Escalation

Real-World Examples of Restaurant Chatbots

• Domino’s Dom: Orders pizza, tracks delivery status, reduces call center costs.
• Starbucks Virtual Barista: Personalized ordering, remembers user preferences, suggests tweaks.
• TGI Fridays Chatbot: Manages reservations, shares menu specials, answers FAQs.
• Pizza Hut Reservation Chatbot:Multi-channel bookings and orders via Messenger and Twitter.

What if booking a table could be as simple as texting your friend?

Well, thanks to restaurant chatbots, that’s no longer just wishful thinking. Restaurant chatbots can answer up to 79% of routine questions—everything from table reservations to suggesting your favorite menu items— without making your customers wait. 

They’re changing how restaurants connect with customers while making the whole experience smoother and more personal. In this blog, we’ll explain how these chatbots work, use cases, and some restaurant chatbot examples to help you delight your guests.

So, let’s get started!

What is a Restaurant Chatbot?

A restaurant chatbot is your AI-powered digital host. It can be placed on your website, social media, or within a chat window, ready to handle conversations with both guests and staff. 

Here’s how a restaurant bot looks in reality:

Understanding Restaurant Chatbots: How They Work

Chatbot for restaurants uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand how people naturally talk, while AI technology and machine learning make them smarter with every interaction. These smart bots pick up patterns, learn preferences, and deliver faster, more personalized responses over time. 

Eventually, this futuristic tool helps in meeting customer expectations and making conversations feel easy, intuitive, and on-point. 

Key Features of Restaurant Chatbots

If you’re adding this virtual assistant to your restaurant’s website or social channels, make sure to look for key features in your chatbot below. Here’s what any solid restaurant business chatbot should come with:

1. Quick and Accurate Responses

The chatbot should instantly handle common questions like menu options, opening hours, or reservation availability without delay. It pulls information from your database in real time to serve accurate, consistent answers — no guessing, no waiting.

2. 24/7 Customer Support

A restaurant chatbot runs around the clock and manages requests outside operating hours when human staff aren’t around. Even multilingual restaurants can answer client queries in multiple languages. So, customers can book a table, check event schedules, or inquire about dietary options at any time of day, in any language!

3. No-Code/Low-Code Setup Options

Modern chatbots don’t require a developer to get started. Most platforms offer simple, drag-and-drop builders or customizable templates made for restaurants. You can launch and tweak your chatbot’s flow without touching a line of code.

4. Data Privacy and Security Compliance

In the hospitality industry, data security is paramount. Any chatbot for restaurants handling customer bookings, phone numbers, or payment details must follow data protection regulations like GDPR or CCPA. The platform should offer built-in privacy settings, encryption, and consent management tools to keep your customer data secure.

5. Multi-Channel Integration 

A good restaurant chatbot works wherever your customers are — your website, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, or even Alexa and Google Assistant. Look for tools that let you manage conversations across these platforms in one place, without juggling separate systems.

Top Use Cases for AI-Powered Restaurant Chatbots

Let’s get real — these messaging platforms aren’t just for taking orders. Here’s where they shine: they automate your day-to-day operations and level up the guest experience without extra staff. Indeed, these bots keep everything running smoother and provide value to both the restaurant and guests.

Customer-Facing Use Cases

The right AI chatbot for customer service turns routine interactions into stress-free moments that your customers will actually appreciate. Here are some customer-facing use cases where chatbots can seriously level up your guest experience.

1. Taking Reservations & Managing Waitlists

Around 33% of customers want to use chatbots to book a table. A chatbot can make reservations instantly and manage waitlists without tying up your phone line.

2. Ordering Process & Payments

Allow your customers to place orders and pay without downloading another app. These bots can handle everything from selecting dishes to processing secure payments.

3. Menu Exploration & Personalized Picks

Forget PDF menus. A chatbot can suggest dishes based on mood, dietary preferences, or past orders — and upsell those high-margin specials while it’s at it.

4. Order Status Tracking & Delivery Updates

No more “where’s my food?” calls. Bots send real-time updates from the kitchen to the client, such as “food in process” and “your order is on the way,” etc. It will reduce stress for both your staff and customers.

5. Allergen & Nutrition Info On-Demand

People care about what’s in their food. A chatbot can instantly share details about allergens, calories, and vegan-friendly swaps to save your customers from the hassle of asking the same routine questions every time they order from your restaurant.

6. FAQs & Customer Support

64% of consumers find 24/7 availability to be the most helpful feature of a chatbot. With restaurant chatbots, you can save your team members from small talk like “Are you open on Christmas?” or “Do you have vegan options?” A chatbot handles these common questions, so your staff can focus on delivering quality service.

7. Promoting Deals & Loyalty Programs

Push mega sale offers, happy hour reminders, or loyalty perks through your chatbot. It’s a direct marketing tool that does not irritate your customers.

8. Event Booking & Reminders

From birthdays to private dinners, let your chatbot handle event reservations and send polite reminders as the special date gets closer.

9. Collecting Reviews & Feedback

Right after a visit or delivery, these AI sales chatbots can casually ask for feedback. This will gather insights while the experience is fresh.

Operational Use Cases

Behind every great dining experience is a team working in sync. AI chatbots aren’t just for customers — they’re built to make your staff’s day-to-day easier and less chaotic. Here are some operational use cases where AI chatbots can keep your back-of-house running like clockwork.

1. Staff Scheduling & Shift Swaps

Need to fill a shift last minute? Chatbots can text available staff and manage duty swaps to save you from messy group chats and the inconvenience of asking every staff member for their availability.

2. Inventory Alerts

When you’re running low on that popular dish, your chatbot can flag it to your team. And your staff can instantly restock a particular item to save you from customer complaints.

3. Internal Staff Messaging

Use these AI chatbots to suggest menu items, special menus for festivals, or last-minute updates on shift changes across your whole team.

4. Training & Onboarding Support

New hires? Your conversational AI chatbot can walk new joiners through SOPs, menus, and FAQs so restaurant owners don’t have to repeat themselves and waste their time.

5. Incident Reporting & Escalation

Whether it’s a broken fridge or a customer issue, staff can quickly report problems through the bot, which routes them to the right person in the blink of an eye.

Real-World Examples of Restaurant Chatbots

Many renowned brands are already relying on chatbots. In fact, 76% of restaurants currently use 3 or more automated tools. In this section, you will learn how big restaurant chains are leveraging chatbots to satisfy their customers. 

1. Domino’s Dom

Domino’s doesn’t make its clients wait in line to order food. Their chatbot, Dom, lets customers order pizza, track deliveries, and reorder their favorites across Facebook Messenger, Slack, and even voice assistants. It’s fast, conversational, and cuts down on call center costs.

2. Starbucks Virtual Barista

The Virtual Barista inside Starbucks’ app takes personalized ordering and takeaway services to the next level by remembering what clients prefer. It remembers your go-to drinks, suggests new ones based on your past orders, and even lets you tweak your latte just how you like it — all through simple chat messages.

3. TGI Fridays Chatbot

TGI Fridays’ chatbot technology isn’t just about booking a table. It’s a fully loaded customer engagement tool that handles reservations, shares menu recommendations, promotes special offers, and answers customer questions like “Do you have guilt-free options?” or “When’s happy hour?” It keeps customers connected without overwhelming staff.

4. Pizza Hut Reservation Chatbot

Pizza Hut’s generative AI chatbot helps customers easily book tables, browse menus, and even place orders via Facebook Messenger and Twitter. It’s a great example of how multi-channel chatbot support can meet customers where they already hang out online — no extra app download required.

Also Explore: ControlHippo’s AI chat Assistant

How to Build a Restaurant AI Chatbot with ControlHippo

You don’t need to be a techie to build an AI chatbot for customer service, like taking orders, answering FAQs, and booking a table. Here’s your complete guide to building a restaurant chatbot for your website with the help of ControlHippo’s no-code chatbot builder.

Part 1: Set Up Your Conversation Flow

Step 1: Log in to your ControlHippo dashboard.

Step 2: Head over to the Flow Builder section from the sidebar.

Step 3: Click the Create Flow button.

Step 4: Set your Flow Details:

• Enter a Flow Name
• Choose your WhatsApp Channel/Number (if using messaging)
• Pick a Template Category:
  • Utility (for operational alerts and instant confirmations)
  • Marketing (for promotions and campaigns)

Step 5: Once your flow is designed, save & activate it.

Part 2: Add AI Capabilities with ControlHippo AI Hub

Step 6: From the sidebar, navigate to AI Hub.

Step 7: On the AI Hub homepage, you’ll see two options:

• Test AI — to test responses based on your existing knowledge base

• Import — to upload new data into your knowledge base

Step 8: Click Import and choose one option:

• Import Article:
  • Enter a Source Name
• Upload your file (supported: .pdf, .doc, .txt)
• Import Website:

• Enter a Document Name
• Add your website URL
• AI will extract content from the site and the linked pages

Step 8: Wait for the AI to train — you’ll receive a notification when it’s done.

Step 9: Go to the Chat Section to see your Artificial Intelligence Assistant in action:

• Review suggested responses
• Edit or send them directly

Part 3: Connect Your Chatbot to Your Website

Step 10: From the sidebar, open the Channel Page.

Step 11: Click the Connect button next to Chatbot.

Step 12: On the Connect Chatbot page, fill in:

• Channel Name
• Pick a Theme Color (use the color picker or enter a hex code like #1890ff)
• Upload your chatbot widget Icon

Step 13: Click Save Changes. You’ll see a success message.

Step 14: A script code will appear on the same page.

Step 15: Copy that script.

Step 16: Paste it into your website’s HTML file just before the closing </body> tag.

And you’re done. Your AI-powered restaurant chatbot is officially live in just a few clicks, ready to take orders, answer FAQs, manage events, and more while saving you hours of manual work.

Top 3 Restaurant Chatbots You’ll Actually Want to Use

These are the three chatbot conversational software making waves in the restaurant game right now. Whether you’re running a cozy bistro, multiple small businesses, or a multi-location chain, these alternatives will help you deliver an ultimate dining experience.

1. ControlHippo

If you want a chatbot that can handle reservations, take orders, answer FAQs, promote specials, and sync with WhatsApp and other social media platforms — without needing a developer on speed dial — ControlHippo’s your go-to tool. It’s no-code Flow Builder and AI Hub let you import data, train your chatbot, and deploy it on your website or messaging apps in minutes. 

2. Chatfuel

Chatfuel is a favorite option for restaurants looking to automate conversations on Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs. Chatfuel’s drag-and-drop interface makes it extremely simple to create reservation bots, answer FAQs, send personalized recommendations, or promote daily deals. 

3. OpenTable

Initially, OpenTable was known for table bookings, but it’s way more than that now. OpenTable’s chatbot integrates with your existing systems, Google, and social media profiles to handle reservations 24/7. It keeps your tables full and lets guests book a spot without ever picking up the phone. If your main goal is reducing missed calls and managing seating capacity smoothly, then OpenTable is your tool.

Summing Up

In this blog, we covered how they work, the best use cases to boost both customer experience and internal operations, how to build one with ControlHippo, and the best options to help you get started. 

Restaurant chatbots aren’t just trendy—they’re essential. These AI helpers handle a significant number of guest conversations while making your service faster, smarter, and more personal. If your restaurant isn’t using a chatbot yet, you’re missing out on smoother workflows, fuller tables, and happier guests.

Updated : July 13, 2025

Jainy Patel

Jainy Patel is a content strategist who specializes in omnichannel communication solutions. She develops innovative marketing strategies that unify messaging across various channels, ensuring a consistent and engaging customer journey. Jainy is passionate about optimizing communication processes and crafting targeted content that resonates with audiences at every touchpoint.