Stop Losing Catering Clients to After-Hours Silence 24/7 AI Support That Never Sleeps
Imagine a chatbot handling event inquiries at 2 AM, confirming menu tweaks for your next big wedding, while you rest easy. We build it custom for your catering ops, boosting response times by 80% and capturing every lead that hits your site.
Join 150+ businesses with round-the-clock customer wins
The "Event Rush" Problem
Missed Midnight Inquiries for Late-Night Bar Menus and Dessert Buffets from Event Planners
Overloaded Kitchen and Waitstaff During Peak Wedding and Holiday Catering Seasons
Forgotten Follow-Ups on Custom Catering Quotes for Multi-Course Banquets
After-Hours Gaps Leaving Clients to Competitors
Inconsistent Responses to Vegan, Gluten-Free, or Nut Allergy Dietary Restriction Questions
Wasted Time on Repetitive Checks for Banquet Hall or Kitchen Availability During Events
Our Custom-Built AI Chatbot for Your Catering World
We've powered support for over 50 food service ops, turning chaotic inquiries into seamless conversions
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, catering isn't a 9-to-5 gig. Weddings book at dawn, corporate gigs pop up at dusk. That's why we craft your AIQ Labs chatbot from scratch, trained on your menus, availability calendars, and client history. No off-the-shelf nonsense. It's your always-on team member, instantly answering questions about plated dinners or buffet setups, while integrating with your booking software to lock in deposits round-the-clock. You're probably thinking, 'Will it handle my custom vegan options?' Absolutely. We make it yours, ensuring every chat feels like your top server is on the line.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Round-the-Clock Wins for Your Catering Game
Never Miss a Lead, Even at 3 AM
Never Miss a Lead, Even at 3 AM: Picture this: A bride-to-be messages about her 200-guest rehearsal dinner while you're asleep. Our chatbot jumps in, suggests pairings from your signature menu—like herb-crusted salmon with seasonal salads—and books a tasting session for the next week—all without you. Result? You wake to a confirmed event, not a lost opportunity. Clients love the instant vibe, and your close rate climbs 40% within the first quarter.
Slash Response Times and Boost Client Happiness
Slash Response Times and Boost Client Happiness: During crunch time, like holiday season rushes, your team drowns in emails about gluten-free apps or headcount changes for plated dinners. The AI handles 75% of these on the spot, suggesting alternatives like quinoa-stuffed bell peppers, freeing staff for kitchen magic. One caterer we worked with saw satisfaction scores jump from 7.2 to 9.1 in three months—happy clients tip big and refer more, especially for repeat corporate events.
Capture Every Opportunity Without Extra Headcount
Capture Every Opportunity Without Extra Headcount: You're juggling deliveries of fresh produce and final prep for buffets; the last thing you need is phone duty 24/7. This custom bot acts like an extra salesperson, qualifying leads by event size or budget—such as a 100-person cocktail reception under $5K—then pinging your CRM with details on menu preferences. No more 'we'll get back to you' delays that send business elsewhere. It's operational efficiency, catering-style—saving you 15 hours weekly on support drudgery, allowing focus on sourcing local ingredients.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ's chatbot, we'd lose weekend inquiries for corporate luncheons featuring our farm-to-table salads—clients just went to the next caterer. Now, it handles quote tweaks for 150-head events with custom pasta stations overnight, and we've added five weddings this quarter alone, each averaging $8K in revenue. Setup took just two weeks, and it's integrated perfectly with our Toast POS and scheduling app."
Maria Gonzalez
Operations Manager, Fresh Feast Catering
"Our team was buried under questions about custom cocktail hours with paired charcuterie boards during peak wedding season. The bot now answers those instantly, even suggesting pairings from our craft cocktail list like gin-infused appetizers. Customer feedback improved dramatically to 4.8 stars on average, and we cut support time by half—no more frantic after-dinner checks for bar setup details."
David Lee
Owner, Elite Events Catering
"I was skeptical about AI for something as personal as catering, but this thing nails dietary needs like accommodating keto options for diabetic guests and availability for our rooftop venue without missing a beat. Last month, it secured a $12K gala booking at midnight by suggesting a surf-and-turf menu. It's like having a night-shift coordinator who never complains and handles linen and floral coordination queries too."
Sarah Patel
General Manager, Gourmet Gatherings
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Tailoring
We dive into your catering workflows—menus, event calendars, client prefs—to design a chatbot that fits like a glove. No templates; it's built for your exact rush hours and custom orders.
Build and Train
Our engineers code your AI from the ground up, training it on real scenarios like buffet sizing or allergy checks. We test rigorously to ensure it handles peak inquiry spikes without a hitch.
Launch and Optimize
Go live with 24/7 monitoring. We tweak based on live chats, integrating feedback loops so it gets smarter, capturing more leads while you focus on plating perfection.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does the chatbot handle custom catering requests like specific dietary needs?
Great question—catering is all about those personal touches. We train the AI on your full menu and past orders, so it can suggest alternatives like gluten-free pastas or nut-free desserts right away. For instance, if a client asks about a keto-friendly buffet for 50, it pulls from your inventory and even checks stock levels via integration. If it's too nuanced, it seamlessly loops in your team with all details. This setup has helped clients resolve 65% of such queries without human intervention, keeping things efficient during your busiest days. And don't worry, we fine-tune it post-launch based on real interactions to make it even sharper.
Will this work for small catering teams without tech expertise?
Absolutely, here's the thing: We handle the heavy lifting so you don't need a dev team. For a small outfit like yours, we start with a quick audit of your current setup—think Google Calendar for events or QuickBooks for quotes. Then we build the chatbot to plug right in, with a simple dashboard you access via phone or tablet. No coding required on your end. One caterer with just four staff saw it manage weekend surges solo, adding three events to their pipeline in the first month. We provide training sessions too, ensuring your team feels confident handing off or jumping in. It's designed for operational ease in the fast-paced food world.
What if a client needs to speak to a human for a big event booking?
You're probably thinking about those high-value gigs where rapport matters most. Our chatbot is smart—it qualifies the inquiry first, like confirming budget or date, then offers a 'connect me now' option or schedules a call via your calendar. It passes along the full context, so your rep picks up exactly where the AI left off, no rehashing. In food service, this prevents drop-offs; we've seen handover success rates hit 90% for complex chats. Plus, it's always available to follow up post-call, answering quick add-ons like 'Can you add a carving station?' without bugging your team again.
How much does a custom chatbot cost for a catering business?
Costs vary by your scale, but let's break it down honestly. For a mid-sized caterer handling 20-50 events yearly, expect $8K-$15K for build and integration, with minimal ongoing fees since you own it—no endless subscriptions. This covers tailoring to your workflows, like syncing with catering-specific tools for vendor coordination. Compare that to hiring a part-time support rep at $40K/year, and it pays for itself fast by capturing after-hours leads. We offer a free consult to scope your needs precisely, often uncovering quick wins that lower the total. Many clients recoup in 4-6 months through extra bookings.
Can the chatbot integrate with my existing catering management software?
Yes, and that's where we shine. Whether you're on CaterZen, Planning Pod, or even custom spreadsheets, our team engineers deep, two-way connections. For example, it can pull live data on chef availability or update your inventory after suggesting a seafood tower. No brittle APIs that break during updates—we build robust links tested for your peak seasons. This eliminates manual entry, a huge time-suck in catering. One client integrated with Tripleseat and saw order confirmations automate fully, cutting errors by 70%. We map it all out in discovery to ensure it flows like your best-served meal.
Is the chatbot secure for handling sensitive client event information?
Security is non-negotiable in catering, with details like celebrity guest lists or private venue info. We use enterprise-grade encryption and comply with standards like GDPR for data protection, ensuring chats are logged securely without exposing your ops. The AI only accesses what it needs, like menu facts, and we audit for vulnerabilities pre-launch. For food service pros, this means peace of mind—no breaches risking your reputation. A partner in event catering praised how it handled confidential allergy notes without a hitch, maintaining trust while scaling support 24/7.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.