AI Receptionist for Restaurants: Phone Reservations, Takeout and WhatsApp
Convocore is an AI receptionist that answers your restaurant phone, takes reservation requests and takeout orders, answers menu and allergen questions, and hands the call to your host stand when a person is needed. Phone agents start on the Business plan at $99 a month ($66 billed yearly), and the Free plan lets you build and test the agent before you pay.
Industry Guide
Restaurant AI phone options compared
Prices below were read from each vendor's own page as of 30 October 2026. Plans change, so check before you buy.
| Option | Type | Price | Fit for a restaurant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convocore | AI voice plus chat on one agent | Business $99/mo, $66 yearly, plus per-minute voice costs | Phone, website chat, WhatsApp and Instagram in one agent. Calendar booking and webhooks, no native POS or reservation book sync. |
| Slang AI | AI voice, restaurants only | From $399 per location (Core), from $599 (Premium) | Built for restaurants, with OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms and Tripleseat integrations. Phone only. |
| Loman AI | AI voice, restaurants only | See their pricing page (no per-minute fees) | Deep POS integrations such as Toast, Square and Clover for phone orders. |
| Goodcall | AI voice for small business | From $79/mo for 100 unique customers, $129 for 500 | Cheap entry point, no minute metering. General, not restaurant specific. |
| Dialzara | AI voice for small business | From $29/mo for 60 minutes, $99 for 220 | Low cost, minute based. General, not restaurant specific. |
| Smith.ai | Live human receptionists | From $300/mo for 30 calls | Real people, so far above AI pricing for a busy restaurant. |
What the Convocore agent does on a restaurant phone
- Reservations: it asks for party size, date, time, name and number, checks a Google Calendar, Outlook or Calendly slot if you use one, and sends you the request. It does not read OpenTable or Resy availability, so many owners keep a calendar of tables or confirm requests by text.
- Takeout orders by phone: it takes the items from your menu, repeats the order back, and sends the order to your staff or kitchen contact. It does not process payment inside a call, so guests pay at pickup or on your ordering link.
- Peak-hour overflow: it answers every call when the host stand is busy, up to 3 calls at once on Business, so nobody hears a busy tone at 7pm.
- Menu and allergen questions: it answers from the menu and allergen sheet you upload. For a serious allergy it should tell the guest to confirm with the kitchen, and you can set it to forward those calls.
- Handoff to the host stand: it can forward the call to a number you choose. The forward is plain, so the person who answers is not briefed. The agent can email you the caller's name and reason first.
- Website chat, WhatsApp and Instagram DMs: the same agent and menu answer guests who message instead of calling. See one agent for website and WhatsApp.
Cost against a part-time host
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median receptionist wage at $18.27 an hour (May 2025). A part-time hire at 20 hours a week costs about $1,583 a month in wages alone, before payroll tax, training and sick cover, and covers only the hours they are in. A host who also seats guests cannot answer a phone and a dining room at once. Convocore Business is $99 a month ($66 billed yearly) plus per-minute voice costs, and answers at any hour.
Setup is not free of effort: plan an hour to upload the menu, hours and booking rules, and a week of listening to real calls to fix wording.
When a different tool is the better choice
- You need live availability inside OpenTable, Resy or SevenRooms. Slang has official integrations with them; Convocore does not sync to those books.
- You need the AI to enter orders straight into Toast or Square. Loman lists those POS integrations; Convocore sends orders to staff instead.
- You need to take card payment during the call. Convocore does not process payments in a call.
- You get only a few calls a week. A voicemail greeting with your hours and booking link may be enough.
Key facts decision-makers quote
- Business is $99 a month ($66 billed yearly) and includes 25,000 credits; voice minutes draw on those credits. If the agent saves a handful of bookings a month, it pays for itself. Test free first.
- Website visitors expect fast answers; delayed replies lose qualified demand.
- Ground AI answers in your live pages and docs, then escalate when confidence is low.
- Measure lead quality and containment, not raw chat volume.
Why restaurant phones lose bookings
- Phones ring hardest at the dinner rush, when the host is seating guests.
- Takeout orders take 5 to 10 minutes of a staff member's attention each.
- The same questions repeat: hours, parking, gluten free, allergens, dogs on the patio.
- Calls after closing go to voicemail and the booking goes to the next restaurant.
How it fits a busy dining room
The agent is trained on your own menu, hours, parking notes and booking rules, so answers match what your host would say. Private-event and large-party callers are asked for date, headcount and budget, and the details are emailed to your events contact. Callers who want a person can be forwarded. See pricing for plan limits and white label if you are an agency setting this up for restaurant clients.
What you get
Reservation requests
Collects party size, time and special requests, and books a calendar slot or alerts your team.
Phone takeout orders
Takes the order, repeats it back and sends it to staff. No in-call payment.
Menu and allergen answers
Answers from the sheet you upload and flags serious allergies for the kitchen.
Host stand handoff
Forwards the call to a person you name, with an email summary of what the guest asked.
What it costs
Business is $99 a month ($66 billed yearly) and includes 25,000 credits; voice minutes draw on those credits. If the agent saves a handful of bookings a month, it pays for itself. Test free first.
How to set it up
- Create a free Convocore account and upload your menu, hours, allergen sheet and booking rules.
- Connect a calendar for table requests and set the number the host stand forwards to.
- Test by calling it with real questions, then move to Business and forward your restaurant line.
- Add website chat and WhatsApp when you want guests to message too.
Test your restaurant phone agent free on Convocore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best AI phone ordering and reservation system for a restaurant?
It depends on what you need to connect to. Slang and Loman are built only for restaurants and list OpenTable, Resy, Toast and Square integrations. Convocore is one agent for phone, web chat, WhatsApp and Instagram at $99 a month, with calendar booking and orders sent to staff, but no POS or reservation book sync.
Can an AI host answer the phone and WhatsApp for my restaurant?
Yes. The same agent, trained on one menu and one set of rules, can answer calls on Business and chats on WhatsApp, Instagram and your website. Phone needs the Business plan; chat channels are on lower plans.
Can it take takeout orders by phone?
Yes. It takes items and changes, repeats the order back and sends it to your staff. It does not take card payment inside the call, and it does not enter the order into your POS.
How much does an AI receptionist for a restaurant cost?
Convocore phone agents start at $99 a month on Business, $66 billed yearly, with a Free plan to test. Slang starts at $399 per location, Goodcall at $79, Dialzara at $29 as of 30 October 2026.
Can it hand a call to a person at the host stand?
Yes. It forwards the call to a number you set. The forward is plain, so the person who answers is not briefed on the caller.
Can it answer allergen questions safely?
It answers from the allergen information you give it and nothing else. For severe allergies, set it to tell the guest to confirm with the kitchen or to forward the call.
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