The best AI voice ordering systems for restaurants automatically handle phone and drive-thru orders, reducing missed calls and increasing efficiency. Top providers like ConverseNow, SoundHound for Restaurants, and Kea integrate with your POS system to improve order accuracy, upsell items, and provide 24/7 customer service.

The Best AI Voice Tools for Taking Restaurant Orders (That Won’t Annoy Your Customers)

Your phone is ringing off the hook during the dinner rush. Your front-of-house staff is juggling a line of in-person customers, managing delivery tablets, and trying to grab the phone before it goes to voicemail. Every call they miss is a potential order—and revenue—walking out the door.

This isn’t a new problem. But the old solution of “just hire more people” is getting harder and more expensive. The new solution is finally here, and it’s not a sci-fi fantasy. It’s an AI that answers the phone for you.

Forget the clunky, robotic phone trees that make everyone want to hang up. Modern AI voice ordering systems are surprisingly human-like. They’re designed to handle the entire order-taking process, from “Hello” to payment, freeing up your team to focus on the customers right in front of them. Let’s be clear: this isn’t about replacing your staff. It’s about giving them a powerful assistant that never calls in sick.

What is an AI voice ordering system?

An AI voice ordering system is an automated software tool that uses conversational AI to answer restaurant phone calls or greet drive-thru customers. It understands natural speech, takes a customer’s order, intelligently upsells items, and sends the order directly to your restaurant’s Point of Sale (POS) system without human intervention.

How It Works: From ‘Hello’ to ‘Your Order Is Ready’

You might be picturing a frustrating robot that keeps saying, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that.” The reality is much smoother. The technology, often called conversational AI, is designed to understand how people actually talk.

Here’s the typical flow for a phone order:

1. The Call: A customer calls your restaurant. Instead of ringing endlessly or going to a busy signal, the AI answers immediately with a custom greeting.
2. The Conversation: The AI voice agent asks for the customer’s order. The customer can speak naturally (“I’ll get a large pepperoni pizza, and add mushrooms to half of it”). The AI understands modifiers, special requests, and even complex sentences.
3. The Upsell: Based on the order, the AI makes a smart suggestion. “Would you like to add a side of our garlic knots with that?” This isn’t a random guess; it’s a programmed upselling strategy that works.
4. The Confirmation: The AI repeats the full order back to the customer to ensure order accuracy.
5. The Payment: The system can securely handle payment processing over the phone via credit card, or simply prepare the order for payment on pickup.
6. The Handoff: The AI sends the finalized order directly to your POS system and kitchen printers, just like a staff member would. Your team sees the ticket and starts making the food.

The process for a drive-thru is nearly identical, just faster and happening through a speaker. The goal is to make the experience feel as natural as talking to a friendly, hyper-efficient employee.

The Real-World Benefits (Beyond the Hype)

So, why should a restaurant use AI for phone orders? The benefits go far beyond just answering the phone. When implemented correctly, these systems directly impact your revenue, your staff’s sanity, and your customers’ happiness.

Increase Revenue and Average Order Size

The most immediate impact is capturing revenue you were previously losing. Every one of those missed calls during a rush is a lost sale. An AI answers 100% of the time, 24/7.

But the real money-maker is the automated upselling. Unlike a busy staff member who might forget, the AI always asks if the customer wants to add a drink, a side, or make it a combo. This consistency leads to a measurable increase in average order value. Providers often report a 15-25% bump in check size from AI-driven upselling alone.

Improve Staff Efficiency and Morale

Taking phone orders is disruptive. It pulls your most valuable team members away from revenue-generating tasks and in-person hospitality. Offloading this repetitive work to an AI system dramatically improves operational efficiency.

Your staff can now focus on providing a great customer experience for dine-in guests, expediting orders, and managing the floor. This reduces stress and burnout, which in turn helps with staff retention—a massive challenge in the restaurant industry. Lowering pressure on staffing and reducing labor costs are significant, tangible wins.

Enhance the Customer Experience

A busy signal or an endless ring is a terrible customer experience. An immediate, friendly answer is a great one. Customers get their orders placed quickly and accurately without waiting on hold.

While some worry about the lack of a human touch, a well-designed AI is often better than a rushed, stressed-out human who might make a mistake. The AI confirms every item, leading to higher order accuracy and fewer “this isn’t what I ordered” moments. For quick, transactional needs like placing a takeout order, efficiency and accuracy often define a positive customer satisfaction outcome.

How to Choose the Right AI: The ‘Restaurant Fit’ Checklist ⭐

How do you choose the right AI ordering system for your restaurant? Don’t just pick the one with the flashiest website. The best AI voice ordering systems for restaurants are the ones that fit your specific operation. Most of these tools are fine, but the right one for a national QSR chain is the wrong one for an independent pizza shop.

Use this checklist to find your perfect match.

The Best AI Voice Ordering Systems of 2024

We’ve tested, researched, and analyzed the major players. Here are our picks for the best AI voice ordering systems, who they’re for, and who should skip them.

ConverseNow: Best for Complex Menus and Upselling

If your menu has a thousand possible combinations and you want to maximize every single check, start your search with ConverseNow. Their AI is exceptionally good at navigating complex menus and executing sophisticated, context-aware upselling and add-ons. They focus heavily on increasing average order value, and their dashboard provides clear data to prove it.

• Best for: Fast-casual and QSR brands with highly customizable menus (think pizza, sandwiches, bowls).
• Standout Feature: The intelligence of its upselling. It doesn’t just ask “want a drink?”; it suggests specific pairings that make sense.
• Skip if: You have a very simple, static menu and don’t need advanced upselling logic.

SoundHound for Restaurants: Best for Drive-Thru Speed and Accuracy

Formerly known as “Houndify,” SoundHound is a giant in the voice AI space, and their restaurant product is built for one thing: speed. Their AI can process an entire order in the time it takes a customer to say it, even with multiple people talking at once in the car. It’s the main character of conversational AI for drive thru right now.

• Best for: High-volume QSRs and drive-thru locations where every second counts.
• Standout Feature: Its ability to understand multiple speakers and filter out background noise, leading to incredible order accuracy under pressure.
• Skip if: Your primary challenge is phone orders, not the drive-thru. While they handle phones, their core strength is the drive-thru lane.

Kea: Best for Seamless Human-in-the-Loop Backup

Kea takes a slightly different approach. They know that sometimes, AI gets stuck. Their big selling point is a seamless integration of AI and a remote team of human agents. The AI handles the vast majority of orders, but if it detects confusion or a particularly tricky request, it instantly and silently flags a human operator to take over. The customer never even knows a handoff occurred.

• Best for: Independent restaurants or small chains that want the efficiency of AI but the security blanket of a human backup.
• Standout Feature: The invisible handoff to human agents provides a 100% success rate, eliminating any fear of a failed order.
• Skip if: You’re a large, multi-location chain comfortable with a fully-automated solution and prefer a lower operating cost.

Presto Automation: A Veteran Player for Large Chains

Presto Automation (formerly Presto) has been in the restaurant tech game for a while. They offer a whole suite of tools, from tablets to computer vision, with their AI voice agents being a key part. Their solution, Presto Voice, is robust, tested, and built for scale, making it a popular choice for major multi-location brands.

• Best for: Large, established QSR chains looking for a proven, enterprise-grade solution that can handle massive scale.
• Standout Feature: Their experience and proven track record with major brands like Checkers & Rally’s and Del Taco.
• Skip if: You’re a smaller, independent operator. Their solution is typically geared toward enterprise-level deployments.

Others to Watch: Valyant AI, Ketalk, Loman AI

The space is growing fast. Keep an eye on these emerging players:

• Valyant AI: Another strong contender in the QSR and drive-thru space, focusing on a friendly, conversational customer experience.
• Ketalk: A newer player gaining traction with independent restaurants and pizzerias, offering a more accessible entry point into AI phone answering for restaurants.
• Loman AI: Focuses on creating highly customized AI voice agents that match a restaurant’s specific brand voice and personality.

How much do AI restaurant ordering systems cost?

The cost of AI restaurant ordering systems varies, but you can generally expect a one-time setup fee and an ongoing monthly subscription. Pricing models typically fall into a few categories: a flat monthly fee, a per-order fee, or a hybrid of both.

Let’s be honest: most providers are cagey about pricing on their websites. It’s almost always “contact us for a quote.” But here’s a general breakdown of what to expect:

• Setup & Integration Fees: This is a one-time cost to get the system running. It covers menu integration, POS connection, and recording your custom greetings. This can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on complexity.
• Monthly Subscription (SaaS Model): This is the most common model. You pay a flat fee per month, per location. This can range from $200/month for a very basic phone-only system to $1,000+/month for a sophisticated, multi-channel (phone and drive-thru) solution.
• Per-Order or Per-Call Fee: Some providers, particularly those aimed at smaller restaurants, might charge a small fee for every order the AI processes (e.g., $0.50 per order). This can be cost-effective if your call volume is low, but it gets expensive quickly as you grow.
• Hybrid Models: Many systems use a combination—a lower monthly base fee plus a smaller per-order charge.

The price is driven by your call volume, menu complexity, and whether you need drive-thru capabilities. Always ask for a detailed pricing sheet and be wary of long-term contracts until you’ve proven the system’s value.

Beyond the POS: Crucial Integration Capabilities

Seamless POS integration is table stakes. If a system can’t talk to your Toast or Square account, it’s a non-starter. But the best systems go further. True operational efficiency comes from connecting the AI to your entire tech stack.

When evaluating options, ask about these crucial integrations:

• Online Ordering Platforms: Can the system see if a customer has an existing account with your online ordering platform? This allows for a more personalized experience and easier order history lookups.
• Loyalty Programs: This is a huge one. A great AI can identify a customer by their phone number, access their loyalty account, apply rewards, and let them know how many points they’ve earned. This turns a simple transaction into a relationship-building moment.
• Delivery Aggregators: While less common, some systems are starting to integrate with platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats to help manage and consolidate orders from different channels.
• CRM (Customer Relationship Management): Connecting to a CRM allows the AI to have more context about the caller, potentially recognizing a VIP customer and offering them a special greeting or deal.

The Catch: Potential Downsides and Challenges to Consider

Let’s be real. These systems are not magic wands. Adopting an AI voice system comes with challenges, and any provider who says otherwise is selling you hype.

• Accent and Noise Issues: While the tech has improved dramatically, strong accents, bad cell reception, or loud background noise (like a construction site) can still confuse the AI. This is why a good human handoff procedure is so important.
• The Uncanny Valley: Some customers are just weirded out by a voice that sounds almost human but isn’t. It’s a psychological hurdle that may turn off a small percentage of your clientele.
• Upfront Effort is Real: You don’t just flip a switch. The setup time and deployment process involves working closely with the provider to “train” the AI on your specific menu, including all its quirks, modifiers, and regional names for items. This takes time and effort from you or your manager.
• Loss of Personal Touch: For some restaurants, especially community staples, the personal chat with a regular customer is part of the brand. Automating this completely can feel like a step back. It’s a strategic choice you have to make.

Ultimately, trust is the new frontier. You’re handing over a critical customer touchpoint to an algorithm. The best approach is to start small, perhaps by having the AI handle calls only during your busiest peak hours, and expand from there as you and your customers build confidence in the system.

FAQ

Can AI voice ordering handle reservations?
Some of the more advanced systems can handle basic reservation requests (e.g., “a table for four at 7 PM”). However, most are optimized for order-taking. For complex reservation management, a dedicated tool is still your best bet.

What happens if the AI can’t understand a customer?
The best systems have a built-in “escape hatch.” If the AI fails to understand a request after one or two tries, it will automatically route the call to a human employee or, in the case of a service like Kea, to a remote human agent who takes over seamlessly.

Can the AI handle multiple languages?
Yes, many leading providers like SoundHound and ConverseNow offer multilingual capabilities. They can often detect the language the customer is speaking and switch automatically, making them a great fit for restaurants in diverse communities. Be sure to confirm which languages are supported.

Thinker’s Automation Labs AI Author

Part of the Thinker's Automation Labs content team. Researches with the SEO Blog Research Agent, drafts the piece, and routes it through review before publishing. Every claim is fact-checked against primary sources.