Here’s how restaurants are using Toast’s AI chatbot
Restaurants leverage AI chatbot technology for efficiency and growth insights amid a challenging sales environment.
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Toast, a tech provider for over 170,000 U.S. restaurants, has published data showing how operators utilized its AI assistant, Toast IQ, in early 2025. The analysis reveals that operators frequently asked about sales, menu optimization, and efficiency, with significant engagement from fine-dining establishments and variability in usage by geography.
Why It Matters
This suggests that as restaurants increasingly adopt AI technology, multi-unit operators may benefit from improved operational insights and efficiency, potentially enhancing unit economics in a challenging marketplace.
In the first quarter of 2025, restaurant operators utilized Toast's AI chatbot, Toast IQ, to engage in millions of interactions aimed at improving business operations. Toast, a point-of-sale supplier for over 170,000 U.S. restaurants, launched the AI assistant in October 2025 to provide quick responses and integrate with its technology ecosystem. The analysis revealed that operators from more than 125,000 restaurants primarily asked the chatbot about sales and revenue (47%), menu and inventory (34%), and marketing strategies (32%).
Notably, operational inquiries like “Create a short, easy-to-read daily briefing for my restaurant” were among the most frequent prompts, reflecting a trend toward performance measurement. Additionally, over 25% sought advice on menu optimization, while 13% inquired about labor costs and efficiency, indicating a strong reliance on AI for strategic insights. Specific questions, such as breaking down loyalty sales by order source, highlight the detailed nature of operator inquiries.
The use of Toast IQ varied significantly across restaurant types and geographical locations. Fine-dining establishments, which often have more complex operations, engaged with the AI assistant 29% more than fast casual venues. Geographically, restaurants in Florida, Arizona, and Georgia demonstrated the highest usage rates, whereas adoption was slower in states like Maine and South Dakota. Interestingly, a restaurant in Alaska recorded the most total threads during the quarter, illustrating that high engagement is occurring even in less densely populated regions.
