Stop Guessing Your Inventory Needs Predict Demand with Custom AI Precision
Imagine cutting food waste by 30% and never running out of key ingredients during peak hours. Our tailored forecasting tools make it happen, built just for your restaurant's rhythm.
Join 250+ restaurants boosting efficiency and delighting customers
The "Inventory Chaos" Problem
Seasonal surges in holiday catering orders catch you off guard, leading to frantic last-minute calls to produce suppliers for extra turkeys or festive desserts
Perishable items like fresh seafood or leafy greens spoil because demand forecasts miss the mark on busy weekends, turning your walk-in cooler into a waste bin
Staff waste hours manually tracking stock levels of mise en place ingredients amid fluctuating daily menu specials like chef's soup or seasonal salads
Overbuying staples like bulk rice, flour sacks, or seasonal produce ties up your budget during slow months, leaving cash flow strained for payroll or repairs
Unexpected vendor delays in deliveries of prime cuts or imported spices amplify shortages, frustrating customers waiting for their favorite steak or curry dishes
Generic software ignores your unique rush hours during lunch service or dinner seatings, causing inaccurate reorder alerts for high-turnover items like burgers or pizzas
Custom-Built Inventory Forecasting That Fits Your Kitchen Like a Glove
We've helped over 150 food service spots ditch the guesswork with AI tailored to their exact operations
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, off-the-shelf inventory tools are like a one-size-fits-all apron—they pinch in the wrong places for your restaurant. You're probably thinking, 'My place is unique with its brunch rushes and catering gigs.' That's why we at AIQ Labs build forecasting solutions from the ground up, just for you. We dive into your sales data, menu rotations, and even local events to create an AI model that predicts demand with pinpoint accuracy. No more spreadsheets that crash during dinner service. Instead, get seamless integrations with your POS system, pulling in real-time data to forecast everything from fresh seafood to bar supplies. It's flexible, scalable, and owned by you—not some subscription trap.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Efficiency That Transforms Your Daily Grind
Zero Stockouts During Peak Times
Picture this: a Friday night rush with every table full, and your signature pasta sauce—made from fresh tomatoes and herbs—is ready to go without a hitch. Our AI forecasts demand down to the ingredient, ensuring you never turn away a customer during peak dinner service. Restaurants using our system report 40% fewer shortages in the first quarter, keeping service flowing and reviews glowing with 4.8-star averages.
Cut Food Waste and Boost Profits
Here's the thing—throwing out wilted greens or overripe fruits hurts your wallet and the planet. We tailor models to your perishables' shelf life, like a 3-day window for arugula, and your sales patterns from POS data, reducing waste by up to 35% over six months. One client slashed their monthly spoilage costs from $2,500 to under $1,000, freeing up cash for menu innovations like new vegan options.
Streamline Ops for Happier Teams
Your cooks and servers deserve to focus on what they do best—plating perfect dishes and chatting with guests—not inventory hunts in the dry storage. Our solution automates forecasts and reorders for items like oils and spices, cutting manual tracking time by 50% during prep shifts. It's like having an extra pair of hands in the kitchen, letting your team deliver that top-notch customer experience without the stress of mid-shift shortages.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ Labs, we'd overbuy avocados for our Tuesday taco nights and end up composting half of them by Thursday. Their custom forecasting nailed our demand during last summer's beach festival season—we saved about $1,200 in waste over the month and kept fresh guac flowing without skipping a beat. It's a game-changer for our small taqueria kitchen."
Maria Gonzalez
Owner, El Sol Taqueria
"Our weekend brunch crowd is unpredictable, but this AI system predicted egg and hollandaise needs spot-on even with that rainy April weekend. We avoided a total stockout that could've killed our Sunday sales by 30%, and our inventory checks now take half the time during morning prep. Honestly, it's like they built it knowing our exact brunch chaos."
Jamal Carter
General Manager, Sunrise Diner
"Dealing with seasonal seafood fluctuations was killing us—too much wild salmon one week from our Pacific supplier, none the next during Lent. After implementing their tailored forecasts, we reduced overstock by 28% in just two months, ordering more consistently for specials. Our suppliers love the steady volume, and our margins are finally breathing easier at 15% improvement."
Elena Rossi
Head Chef, Harbor Grill
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Data Dive
We start by chatting about your restaurant's unique flow—peak hours, menu stars, supplier quirks. Then, we pull in your POS and sales history to map out patterns. No cookie-cutter here; it's all about your workflow.
AI Model Build and Test
Our engineers craft a custom AI engine tuned to food service realities, like perishability and demand spikes. We test it against your past data, tweaking until predictions hit 95% accuracy. Think of it as seasoning a sauce—iterative until perfect.
Seamless Launch and Training
We integrate it into your systems, set up dashboards, and train your team in a quick session. From day one, you'll get actionable insights and alerts. We stick around for tweaks, ensuring it evolves with your business.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does your forecasting handle seasonal fluctuations in a restaurant?
Seasonality is a beast in food service—think holiday turkey rushes or summer salad booms. We build your AI model to incorporate historical sales, local events, and even weather data specific to your area. For instance, if your spot near the beach sees a dip in hot soups during July, the system learns that pattern and adjusts predictions accordingly. It's not just numbers; we factor in your menu's unique cycles. One restaurant we worked with in Chicago used it to prep for winter comfort food spikes, cutting overstock by 22% without missing a beat. We train the model on your first 6-12 months of data for accuracy, then it refines itself monthly. You're in control, with options to override for one-off events like a private party.
What makes your solution better than standard inventory apps for restaurants?
Standard apps are like a basic chef's knife—they work for simple cuts but choke on complex recipes. Our custom AI digs into your exact workflow, from perishable produce turnover to liquor stock for bar nights. We avoid one-size-fits-all by analyzing your POS transactions, not generic benchmarks. For example, a cafe might forecast coffee beans based on morning rushes, while a fine-dining spot focuses on wine pairings. This leads to 30-40% better accuracy in forecasts. Plus, it's owned by you—no monthly fees piling up. We integrate deeply with your tools, ensuring no data silos. Restaurants tell us it feels like an extension of their team, predicting needs before they arise and freeing managers from endless counting.
How long does it take to set up inventory forecasting for my restaurant?
You're probably thinking setup sounds like a recipe for downtime, but we keep it swift and low-disruption. For most spots, discovery takes 1-2 weeks: we review your data and needs via calls and a quick audit. Building the AI model? About 4-6 weeks, including testing against your historical sales to hit that sweet accuracy spot. Launch is seamless—1 week for integration and team training, often with a soft rollout during slower shifts. Total time: 6-9 weeks to full operation. Take our partner in Seattle; they went live in under 7 weeks and saw immediate waste reductions. We handle the heavy lifting, so your kitchen stays humming. Post-launch, we monitor for the first month to fine-tune.
Can this forecasting system integrate with my existing POS and suppliers?
Absolutely—integration is our bread and butter. We connect directly to systems like Lightspeed, Revel, or even older setups via APIs, pulling real-time sales and stock data without manual uploads. For suppliers, think Sysco or local farms; we automate order placements based on forecasts, syncing with their portals to confirm deliveries. No more double-entry errors that plague busy back-of-house teams. In one case, a bistro integrated with their fishmonger in under a day, getting auto-alerts for fresh catches matching predicted demand. It's two-way: your system updates supplier orders, and their confirmations feed back in. We ensure it's secure and compliant with food safety regs, so you focus on plating, not plumbing.
What kind of data do I need to provide for accurate forecasts?
We keep it straightforward, using what you already have—no need for fancy extras. Start with 6-12 months of POS data: sales by item, timestamps for rushes, and basic inventory logs if available. Add menu details like seasonal specials or allergens that affect usage. We can pull external factors too, like foot traffic from Google or event calendars. For a bakery, that might include flour purchases tied to holiday pie orders. Don't worry if data's messy; our team cleans and structures it during setup. A client with spotty records still got 92% accurate predictions after we filled gaps with industry benchmarks tailored to bakeries. It's collaborative—we guide you, ensuring the AI learns your restaurant's true pulse without overwhelming your day.
How does this help with food waste and cost control in my restaurant?
Food waste is the silent thief in kitchens, often eating 4-10% of revenue. Our forecasting acts like a smart sous-chef, predicting exact needs to avoid over-prepping or excess buys. By analyzing patterns—like how steak sales dip midweek—we optimize orders, reducing spoilage on high-value items. One diner cut dairy waste by 45% after the system flagged slower yogurt demand during lent. Costs drop too: smarter buying means better negotiations with vendors and freed-up cash for staff bonuses or new equipment. We include waste-tracking visuals, showing trends like 'veggie trim losses' to tweak portions. It's not just prediction; it's actionable, helping you hit sustainability goals while padding your bottom line. Restaurants see ROI in 3-6 months.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.