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How restaurant workers feel about AI, and what it means for your team
A Toast survey of more than 700 restaurant workers, reported on October 22, 2026, found that half are very or extremely open to using AI at work, while about one in five is not very or not at all open (Nation's Restaurant News, Oct 22, 2026, checked Oct 2026).
Workers want AI for busywork: 54% are very or extremely open to end-of-shift summaries and automated scheduling. For an independent owner, the lesson is to start AI on the chores your staff dislike, and leave the moments they enjoy with guests to them.
What 700 restaurant workers said about AI
The data comes from Toast, the restaurant point-of-sale company, which polled more than 700 restaurant workers about their jobs. Toast sells AI tools, so read it as vendor data. It is still the freshest look at what the people on the floor think.
| How open workers are to using AI | Share |
|---|---|
| Extremely open | 20% |
| Very open | 30% |
| Somewhat open | 27% |
| Not very open | About 12% |
| Not at all open | 10% |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Source: Nation's Restaurant News, Oct 22, 2026, reporting Toast data, checked Oct 2026. The same article says separate Toast data from September found 9 in 10 operators use AI and 87% are comfortable with it, so owners are keener than their staff.
Where workers want AI, and where they do not
Yes: end-of-shift summaries
54% of workers are very or extremely open to AI writing the shift wrap-up and building the schedule. Those are the most-wanted uses in the survey.
Yes, a little less: upsell tips and training
Upsell suggestions, personalization tips and training drew similar but slightly lower interest. The article gives no exact figures for them.
Protect: time with guests
27% of workers named connecting with customers as a top-three favourite part of the job. AI that takes that away will meet resistance.
What makes them leave
31% say poor hourly pay is the biggest reason they would quit, and 26% say a difficult manager. AI does not fix either, but it can take tasks off a stretched manager.
All figures from NRN, Oct 22, 2026, checked Oct 2026.
Why AI rollouts get pushback
Two weeks earlier, Restaurant Dive collected the reasons AI projects stall in restaurants (Restaurant Dive, Oct 7, 2026). The failures that hurt most were the ones guests could see.
| What happened | The lesson for a small restaurant |
|---|---|
| A Wendy's drive-thru sign asked guests to avoid saying "um" and "uh" because the AI "is still learning and will interrupt" | Never make guests adapt to the tool. Keep a person within reach. |
| Starbucks dropped an AI inventory system after about nine months, after reports it miscounted items | Check the tool's numbers against your own for weeks before you trust it. |
| McDonald's ended its IBM order-taking test in 2024 | Even big chains run pilots and walk away. Pilot first, then decide. |
| Pew found 52% of Americans more concerned than excited about AI in daily life | Guests and staff both need a reason to trust it. Explain what it does. |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
The same report says forecasting, inventory and scheduling drew the least pushback, because they handle heavy data work and reduce errors. A Temple University professor quoted there advises involving employees early and explaining how AI addresses their specific problems.
What an independent owner should do with this
- Ask your team what they hate doing.Closing counts, the schedule, the shift note, answering the same phone question all night. Start AI there.
- Say out loud what AI will not do.If the plan is not to cut anyone's hours, tell them. Fear of replacement is the main reason staff quietly work around a new tool.
- Keep guest moments human.Greeting, checking on a table, handling a complaint. Use AI to free time for those.
- Run it alongside people first.Let the tool and the staff do the job together for a few weeks, and compare.
- Show the team the result.Fewer missed calls, less time on the schedule, fewer wrong orders. People adopt tools that visibly help them.
Our step-by-step guide to introducing AI to restaurant staff turns this into a four-week plan. For guests, our AI ordering guide covers the drive-thru lessons.
AI on the busywork, people on the guests
AZ is a forward-deployed technology partner for independent restaurants. We start with the jobs your team is tired of, build the missing pieces on the tools you already run, and stay with you while the team gets used to them. At our proof restaurant in Houston, an AI host answers the phone, guests order and pay on their own phones, and the owner gets a daily summary by text.
Self-serve direct orders went from 17% in mid-August to every direct order today.
phone calls arrive while the restaurant is closed. Our AI host answers each one.
of the AI phone host running alongside staff before it handles calls nearly hands-free.
From our proof restaurant's own systems, Oct 2026.
Where these facts come from
Questions owners ask
Do restaurant workers want to use AI?
Half of the 700-plus workers in Toast's survey, reported October 22, 2026, are very or extremely open to AI at work. Another 27% are somewhat open, and about 22% are not very or not at all open.
What do restaurant staff want AI to do?
End-of-shift summaries and automated scheduling drew the most interest, with 54% very or extremely open. Upsell suggestions, personalization tips and training drew slightly lower interest.
Are restaurant owners more enthusiastic about AI than staff?
Yes, by Toast's data. Separate Toast figures from September found 9 in 10 operators use AI and 87% are comfortable with it, a higher level than workers report.
Why do AI projects fail in restaurants?
Restaurant Dive points to public-facing failures such as drive-thru bots interrupting guests, tools that miscount inventory, extra work for staff who must fix errors, and staff fear of being replaced.
How do I get my staff to accept AI?
Start with chores they dislike, tell them plainly what AI will not do, run it alongside people first and show the team the results. Keep greeting and caring for guests with people.
Find the AI jobs your team will thank you for.
We map the chores, set up the tools and run them with your staff.
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