Restaurants and cafés · Sample scenario
Answering menu and allergen questions
Menu questions are answered only from the approved menu database; if allergen data is not certain, the question goes to a staff member.
Problem
The same menu questions keep coming: ingredients, portions, vegetarian options, allergens. Servers and the host call the kitchen every time.
How it works today
The customer writes in the website chat or a message, the host asks the chef and types the answer by hand. Answers vary from person to person, and outdated information can be given after a recipe changes.
What this scenario changes
AI identifies the dish and the allergen asked about, the answer comes only from the kitchen-approved menu database and the source is shown. If the allergen record has not been checked or is uncertain, no safety guarantee is given and the question goes to the staff member on shift.
The process step by step
- Menu question: The customer asks in the website chat
- Dish and allergen identified: The question is structured
- Menu database search: Approved records only
- Allergen record checked: Status and last approval date
- Is the data certain?: Record approved by the kitchen
- Source-based answer: The answer cites the database record
- Answer sent: With the source noted
Exception path
- Staff member on shift answers: Confirmed with the kitchen
- Customer notified: Told openly that no guarantee is given
The role of AI
Extracts the dish name and the allergen asked about, and turns the approved data in the database into a short answer that fits the question.
Human approval and exceptions
If the allergen record is uncertain, the dish is not in the database or the customer reports a serious allergy, AI gives no guarantee: the staff member on shift confirms with the kitchen and answers.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI say "this dish is safe for your allergy"?
No. The answer only states the approved ingredients in the database; in cases of cross-contact or uncertainty, the question goes to a staff member.
What happens when a recipe changes?
The kitchen must update the record; if the approval date is out of date, the record counts as uncertain and no automatic answer is given.
What if someone asks about a dish that is not on the menu?
The bot does not guess: it says the dish was not found on the menu and passes the question to a staff member if needed.