8 Best AI Tools for Restaurants in 2026

Toast is the point of sale many restaurants already run on, and its AI layer, Toast IQ, connects data and workflows across the business at no additional cost. That means sales, menu, labor, and guest data sit in one system, and the AI features draw on that combined view rather than a separate dashboard.

Toast suits restaurants of many sizes, from single locations to groups, and its feature set covers counter service, table service, and retail-style operations. Pricing depends on plan, hardware, and payment processing, so get a quote for your setup rather than comparing headline hardware offers alone.

SevenRooms is a hospitality platform that goes beyond reservations. Its AI table management seats guests faster with pacing controls and cover forecasting, while Voice AI answers phone calls so reservation requests are not lost during busy service. Guest data from bookings, visits, and orders is unified into profiles that power personalized upsells and automated marketing.

SevenRooms serves more than 15,000 restaurants, from local favorites to Michelin-starred rooms. For full-service restaurants where each seat and each repeat visit matters, it is one of the strongest AI tools available.

Popmenu describes itself as an AI marketing platform that turns a restaurant's menu into a sales engine. It offers interactive menus, a restaurant website, commission-free online ordering, AI-written marketing content, AI phone answering, and reputation management, all aimed at helping independent restaurants compete with chains.

Popmenu serves more than 12,000 restaurants. Its strength is breadth for independents: one platform covers the website, the menu, ordering, and marketing follow-up. Pricing is subscription-based, so confirm which tier includes the AI features you need.

Owner.com builds an AI-powered website, branded mobile app, and online ordering system for independent restaurants, with smart follow-ups designed to turn first-time orderers into regulars. Guests earn points through the app, and the platform focuses on growing direct sales so restaurants keep more of each order instead of paying marketplace commissions.

Owner.com states that partnering means giving up some control over design in exchange for a proven system. For independents that want a done-for-you online presence built to sell, that trade is often worth it.

Lunchbox is an enterprise restaurant platform for ordering, catering, and guest engagement. It offers branded web and app ordering, catering order management, order aggregation across third-party channels, an open API, and a marketing CRM with automated email, SMS, and push messages. It integrates with major point of sale systems.

Lunchbox suits groups and chains that need one system across locations and channels, including B2B catering at scale. Single-location restaurants will likely find simpler tools a better fit, but for enterprise operations, Lunchbox's depth stands out.

ChowNow supports more than 20,000 independent restaurants with a commission-free marketplace, direct online ordering, and a discovery network that puts menus and direct ordering on Google, Yelp, Apple Maps, and other high-traffic sites. Every order keeps the restaurant's margin intact and adds the customer to its own list.

For independents tired of marketplace commissions, ChowNow is a direct answer. Its value grows with local diner awareness of the marketplace, so check coverage in your area before committing.

Presto offers AI-driven automation for drive-thru restaurants, built on more than 15 years in the industry. Its voice AI takes drive-thru orders, suggests add-ons consistently, and frees staff to focus on food preparation, with integrations to point of sale and headset providers for quick installation.

Presto counts quick-service brands among its customers and recently expanded its Toast integration. For drive-thru operators, voice AI directly addresses staffing pressure and missed upsells, which makes Presto a focused and proven pick.

SoundHound AI builds conversational voice agents used across industries, including restaurants, where its voice AI handles phone orders and drive-thru ordering for franchise groups. Its platform includes guardrails, data masking, and audit logging, which matter for brands rolling voice AI out across many locations.

SoundHound suits larger restaurant groups that want a voice platform spanning phone, drive-thru, and other channels. Smaller operators will usually get faster value from Presto or from the phone answering features inside SevenRooms or Popmenu.