Stop Missing Catering Inquiries After Hours With AI Voice Agents That Work 24/7
Imagine never turning away a last-minute wedding reception booking because your phone went silent at 8 PM. Our custom AI voice agents handle it all, boosting your bookings by up to 30% while you sleep.
Join 150+ businesses with round-the-clock customer capture
The "After-Hours Black Hole" Problem
Event clients calling post-dinner rush about plated dinner options, only to hit voicemail and book with competitors
Missed corporate lunch inquiries for customizable sandwich platters during peak prep times, leading to lost B2B contracts
Weekend wedding leads for buffet setups vanishing because no one's manning the phones during family brunch hours
Last-minute menu change requests for dietary restrictions like gluten-free hors d'oeuvres ignored overnight
Out-of-state clients hanging up after hours when inquiring about destination wedding cake deliveries, taking business to local vendors
Staff burnout from covering evening cocktail party calls about bar package upgrades during personal downtime
Our Custom-Built AI Voice Agents for Catering
We've powered voice AI for over 50 food service operations, turning chaotic call volumes into streamlined bookings.
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, catering isn't a 9-to-5 gig. You're probably thinking about those frantic calls for 200-person galas that come in at midnight. Here's the thing: our AI voice agents are like your tireless sous-chef, always on the line. We build them from the ground up to fit your exact workflow—integrating with your catering software, menu databases, and calendar. No off-the-shelf nonsense. They're trained on your lingo, from buffet options to dietary tweaks, ensuring instant, natural responses that feel like chatting with your best server.
What Makes Us Different:
Capture Every Opportunity, Around the Clock
Never Miss a Lead, Day or Night
Never Miss a Lead, Day or Night: Picture this: a bride calls at 2 AM stressing over her rehearsal dinner menu. Our AI agent qualifies the lead, suggests wine pairings from your signature dishes like herb-crusted salmon, and books a consult— all without waking you. Result? 25% more bookings from off-hours calls within the first six months, turning potential losses into revenue from high-margin events.
Boost Customer Satisfaction with Instant Responses
Boost Customer Satisfaction with Instant Responses: In catering, timing is everything. Clients expect quick answers on canape counts or vegan alternatives for passed apps. Our agents deliver spot-on info 24/7, reducing wait times from hours to seconds. You're not just efficient; you're the go-to caterer who always says yes, leading to 4.8-star reviews on platforms like The Knot and 30% more repeat gigs in event seasons.
Cut Costs Without Cutting Corners
Cut Costs Without Cutting Corners: No more paying staff to field calls during family time or hiring extra receptionists for peak wedding season. Our custom agents handle routine inquiries—like confirming delivery times for boxed lunches or charcuterie boards—freeing your team for high-value prep like sauce reductions. Save up to $15K yearly on labor while scaling your operations effortlessly to handle 20% more events.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ Labs, we'd lose half our weekend inquiries to voicemail—especially for those big backyard barbecue events with pulled pork stations. Now, the voice agent books tastings on the spot, even suggesting sides like cornbread and slaw, and we've added 12 weddings this quarter alone. It's like having an extra staffer who never sleeps."
Maria Gonzalez
Owner, Savory Events Catering, specializing in Southern-style weddings in Atlanta
"Our corporate clients need fast answers on lunch spreads during busy weekdays, like build-your-own taco bars for team meetings. The AI handles it flawlessly, even suggesting add-ons like dessert stations with churros. Dropped our missed call rate from 40% to zero, and revenue's up 18% in three months from secured office catering contracts."
David Chen
Operations Manager, Urban Bites Catering, focused on tech firm events in San Francisco
"I was skeptical about voice AI for custom orders, but it's nailed our cocktail party quotes every time, accurately pricing out signature martini flights and charcuterie pairings. Integrated perfectly with our POS, and we caught a $5K last-minute gala that would've slipped away after hours. Game-changer for our small team during holiday party rushes."
Lisa Patel
Founder, Elegant Plates Catering, boutique service for upscale galas in Chicago
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Customization
We dive into your catering world—your menus, peak seasons, and pain points like rush-hour call spikes. Then, we craft a voice agent blueprint tailored to your workflow, ensuring it speaks your language from day one.
Build and Integrate
Our engineers code your agent with natural conversation flows for everything from buffet sizing to allergy checks. We hook it into your systems—calendars, CRMs, even inventory—for seamless, real-time updates without the usual tech headaches.
Deploy and Optimize
Go live with 24/7 monitoring. We tweak based on real calls, like refining responses for seasonal themes, so your agent gets smarter, capturing more leads and delighting clients over time.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does the AI voice agent handle custom catering requests like specific themes or allergens?
Our agents are trained on your exact menu and protocols, so they can discuss options like gluten-free appetizers or themed desserts right away. For instance, if a client wants a farm-to-table wedding setup, it pulls from your database to suggest pairings and even checks availability. If it's too nuanced—like a rare spice swap—it seamlessly transfers to your team with full context. We've seen this cut response times by 70%, keeping clients hooked without frustration. It's all custom-built to mimic your expert staff, ensuring no detail slips through.
What if a call comes in after hours for an urgent event change?
That's where 24/7 availability shines. The agent instantly acknowledges the urgency, like a last-minute guest count adjustment for a corporate gala, and updates your shared calendar in real-time. It can confirm changes, send automated summaries via email, and flag high-priority items for morning review. No more frantic voicemails or lost revenue from ignored updates. One client avoided a $2K reshuffle fee because the AI caught a menu swap at midnight. We tailor this to your workflow, so it feels like an extension of your operations team.
Can this integrate with our existing catering management software?
Absolutely, we specialize in deep, two-way integrations. Whether you're using something like CaterZen or a custom POS, our engineers connect the agent directly—pulling event slots, pushing bookings, and syncing inventory levels. This eliminates manual entry errors that plague busy kitchens. For example, it can check if you have enough salmon for a 150-person brunch and book accordingly. Unlike plug-and-play tools, ours is built to your specs, ensuring smooth data flow and saving hours weekly on admin tasks.
Is the voice agent secure for handling client payment or sensitive info?
Security is non-negotiable in food service, especially with client details. We use enterprise-grade encryption and comply with standards like PCI for any payment nudges, though the agent typically qualifies leads first. It never stores sensitive data itself—instead, it routes securely to your systems. For dietary notes, everything's anonymized and logged only as needed. We've audited this for catering firms dealing with high-profile events, ensuring peace of mind. Plus, you own the setup, so no third-party risks.
How much does a custom AI voice agent cost for a mid-sized catering company?
Costs vary based on your scale, but for a typical 20-event-per-month operation, expect a one-time build fee around $15K-$25K, with minimal ongoing maintenance under $500/month. This covers full customization, integration, and a year of tweaks. Compare that to hiring a part-time receptionist at $40K/year—you're capturing leads 24/7 without the overhead. We start with a free consult to scope your needs, like handling 50 calls weekly, and provide a precise quote. It's an investment that pays off in months through extra bookings.
What happens if the AI can't resolve a client's inquiry?
Our agents are smart but know their limits. For straightforward stuff like quoting a cocktail hour spread, they nail it. But for something tricky, like a full custom cake design, they gather details—party size, flavors—and transfer to your on-call expert with a full transcript. This hybrid approach ensures 90% of calls resolve instantly, boosting satisfaction. We've refined this for catering chaos, where one unclear allergy could derail an event. Post-call, you get analytics to improve, making the system sharper over time.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.