/CHECKLIST · RESTAURANTS
RESTAURANT AUTOMATION CHECKLIST
Workflows that compound margin for independent restaurants and hospitality operators.
8 OPPORTUNITIES · USE WHATEVER FITS
Reservation system (owned)
3–6 hrsCustom booking with SMS confirms, deposits, waitlist. Replace OpenTable's 15% cover fee.
ROI: Saves $1k-$15k/mo in OpenTable fees on $80k+ booking volume
AI receptionist for off-hours
2–5 hrsVoice AI handles inbound calls outside service hours. Books reservations, takes private event inquiries.
ROI: Captures bookings from calls that would otherwise hit voicemail
Private event inquiry pipeline
4–8 hrsForm → quote → contract → deposit → calendar block. Replace endless email threads.
ROI: Private events typically 30-50% of profit; closing speed matters
Inventory + 86 tracking
5–10 hrsReal-time stock-out alerts at POS, daily prep sheets, supplier reorder triggers.
ROI: Food cost waste drops; weekly inventory becomes daily
Staff scheduling + shift swaps
4–8 hrsAuto-generated schedules from sales forecast + labor budget. Self-service shift swaps.
ROI: Schedule creation drops from hours to minutes
Online ordering (owned)
2–4 hrsCustom storefront for pickup + delivery. Replace 20-30% commission third-party apps.
ROI: Saves 20-30% commission on direct orders; usually pays back in 6-12 months
Review request + reputation
1–3 hrsAuto-prompt happy guests for Google/Yelp reviews. Flag bad experiences to manager privately first.
ROI: Review velocity drives Google ranking + new guest acquisition
Loyalty + repeat-guest tracking
2–4 hrsIdentify regulars, birthdays, anniversaries. Server-facing alerts, automated rewards.
ROI: Repeat-guest visit rate up 10-25% typical
/HOW TO USE THIS
Mark the items you're currently doing manually. Sum the weekly hours. That's the actual cost of running your business the way you're running it.
Now rank: which one would relieve the most pain if it disappeared tomorrow? Start with that one. Either build it yourself, use a SaaS, or scope it with us — whichever path the math supports.
/OTHER INDUSTRY CHECKLISTS
WANT THE ROADMAP?
30-minute free audit. We pick the top 3 from this checklist for your specific business, anchor the cost on each, and give you a 1-page written roadmap within 48 hours.