Short answer: These 11 tools help restaurant owners take phone orders, book tables, remind guests, schedule staff and screen catering leads. They're grouped by job.
Last updated: · 11 tools · How we pick
About this list
Running a restaurant means phones, tables, staff and payments all at once. The 11 tools here are grouped by job, so you can start with the one that takes the most of your time.
Phone orders: Certus AI, Maple and Loman answer calls with AI and take orders. Two listings use Maple, from a pizzeria and a bagel shop. Reservations: OpenTable takes online bookings, and Reservation Reminder Bot is a DIY build that confirms bookings on WhatsApp and reminds guests a day before.
Staff scheduling: 7shifts and Homebase build staff schedules and run a time clock. POS and payments: Toast is a restaurant POS with online orders and payments, and Square covers POS, payments and online ordering.
Catering: Catering Lead Pre-Qualifier is a DIY setup where an AI helper checks each catering inquiry and passes only warm leads to your booker. The owner credits ads, staff checklists and the AI together, so the AI’s own share isn’t measured.
Prices come from each maker. For real examples, see our restaurant phone ordering list and the success stories.
Phone orders
Answers every call, even when your whole team is busy. Takes the order from your menu. Sends the order to your POS and kitchen, like a counter order.
Restaurants; delisCheck siteEasy
Maple AI Phone Orders
~21 hrs/wkAnswers every call and takes the full order, toppings and all. Sends the order into Toast or Clover so it prints in the kitchen. Takes payment before pickup and answers 'what's the wait?'.
~21hrs/wk savedRestaurants; pizzeriasFrom $85/mo, billed yearlyEasy
Answers every call, even before you open. Takes phone orders so staff can stay with guests. Shows call volume so you can plan store hours.
Restaurants; pizzeriasCheck siteEasy
Maple
12 hrs/wkAnswers phone calls and takes pickup, delivery and call-ahead orders, then sends them into the shop's register (Clover).
12hrs/wk savedBagel shop$350/moEasy
Reservations
Online reservations and guest notes.
RestaurantsCheck siteNeeds setup
Confirms bookings on WhatsApp, reminds guests a day before, and logs changes.
RestaurantFree to self-host · Cloud from $20/moNeeds setup
Staff scheduling
POS and payments
Restaurant POS with online orders and payments.
RestaurantsFrom $69/moNeeds setup
POS, payments, and online ordering.
Shops and restaurantsCheck siteEasy
Catering leads
Catering Lead Pre-Qualifier
Time saved: variesChecks every catering inquiry first and passes only warm leads to your booker.
Time savedVariesShops & RestaurantsCheck siteNeeds setup
Compare them side by side
| Tool | What it does | Who it’s for | Cost (from maker) | Setup | Time saved | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certus AI Restaurant Phone Orders | Answers every call, even when your whole team is busy. | Restaurants; delis | Check site (no price in the case study; the owner says there was no contract) | Easy | Maker hasn't shared this. Our estimate: ~1–3 hrs/wk | Source for Certus AI Restaurant Phone Orders |
| Maple AI Phone Orders | Answers every call and takes the full order, toppings and all. | Restaurants; pizzerias | Maple Voice $85/mo yearly ($150 monthly, answering and FAQs only); Maple Pro $220/mo yearly ($350 monthly, adds ordering). Check site | Easy | ~21 hrs/wk | Source for Maple AI Phone Orders |
| Loman AI Restaurant Phone Answering | Answers every call, even before you open. | Restaurants; pizzerias | Check site (the case study says the shop pays $300/month) | Easy | Maker hasn't shared this. Our estimate: ~1–3 hrs/wk | Source for Loman AI Restaurant Phone Answering |
| Maple | Answers phone calls and takes pickup, delivery and call-ahead orders, then sends them into the shop's register (Clover). | Bagel shop | Maple Pro $350/mo | Easy | 12 hrs/wk (maker's claim) | Source for Maple |
| Toast | Restaurant POS with online orders and payments. | Restaurants | Point of Sale from $69/mo; $0 Starter Kit option | Needs setup | Maker hasn't shared this. Our estimate: ~2–4 hrs/wk | Source for Toast |
| Square | POS, payments, and online ordering. | Shops and restaurants | Check site (free plan; add-ons from $30/mo) | Easy | Maker hasn't shared this. Our estimate: ~2–4 hrs/wk | Source for Square |
| OpenTable | Online reservations and guest notes. | Restaurants | Check site | Needs setup | Maker hasn't shared this. Our estimate: ~2–4 hrs/wk | Source for OpenTable |
| Reservation Reminder Bot | Confirms bookings on WhatsApp, reminds guests a day before, and logs changes. | Restaurant | n8n free to self-host (cloud from $20/mo); other apps extra | Needs setup | Maker hasn't shared this. Our estimate: ~2–4 hrs/wk | Source for Reservation Reminder Bot |
| 7shifts | Staff scheduling, time clock, and team chat. | Restaurants | Check site | Easy | Maker hasn't shared this | Source for 7shifts |
| Homebase | Scheduling and time clock for hourly teams. | Shops and restaurants | Free for 1 location; paid from $30/location/mo | Easy | Maker hasn't shared this | Source for Homebase |
| Catering Lead Pre-Qualifier | Checks every catering inquiry first and passes only warm leads to your booker. | Local Shops & Restaurants | Check site (tool not named) | Needs setup | Maker hasn't shared this | Source for Catering Lead Pre-Qualifier |
Costs and hours come from each tool’s own source. “Our estimate” is our guess from similar tools, not a measured number. The directory is free to search; prices come from each maker and change often.
Questions people ask
How can a restaurant use AI?
The tools on this list take phone orders, book and confirm tables, build staff schedules, run the POS and payments, and screen catering leads. Pick the job that takes the most of your time and start there.
How much do these tools cost?
Of the 11 tools here, 3 show a price, 2 list a free plan or free self-hosting next to a paid price, and 6 don't show a clear price in our listing. See the Cost column for each one. Prices come from each maker and change often, so check the maker's site before you buy.
Can I set one up myself?
7 of the 11 are marked Easy to set up. Reservation Reminder Bot and Catering Lead Pre-Qualifier are DIY automations you build yourself, with steps on each page.
How does BusyWorkBots pick these?
Every listing links to a real source, a case study, a builder's post, or the maker's page. Numbers from the company selling the tool are labeled as a maker or vendor claim. We don't test every tool.