When Wok & Karahi in Spring, Texas, lost its only server, owner Abbas Zoeb replaced the role with an AI host named Haniya instead of hiring a new worker.
Zoeb, a former software engineer at Google, said the family-run Chinese, Indian, and Pakistani restaurant now saves thousands of dollars a month.
Here's what to know
According to Fox 26 Houston, the restaurant rebuilt its service flow by pairing Haniya with QR-code ordering and prepayment. The system speaks seven languages and can answer calls after closing.
The software costs $300 a month, or about $10 a day. Zoeb said the restaurant is saving $9,650 a month. About $3,500 comes from cutting the server salary, while the rest reflects efficiency gains and recaptured revenue.
Also, 100% of tips now go to the chef and kitchen staff.
More background
Professor Dietrich von Biedenfeld of the University of Houston Downtown told Fox 26 that this kind of arrangement is a better match for some restaurants than others.
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"This seems like a very effective tool for a fast-food restaurant or a quick lunch spot, but for fine dining, the AI is only as good as the prompts," he said.
What's being done?
After losing a key worker, Zoeb reorganized service. The artificial intelligence host and operations modifications take care of work that had been done by the server.
With Haniya handling customer interactions, the restaurant no longer depends on one employee to greet diners, take orders, and field phone calls.
"It started out of desperation. We could not keep begging one person to show up. Now nobody has to, and our guests and our team are better off for it," Zoeb told Fox 26.
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