A server is juggling six tables on a Saturday night. Between them, the phone rings: does the restaurant have a kids' menu? An email arrives: is the steak available as a smaller portion? A message asks: how many vegan mains are there? The server could answer all three in a minute, but a minute is precisely what they do not have.
Restaurant menu questions are among the most common enquiries a restaurant receives. Most have standard answers that belong on the website, where guests can get them without interrupting anyone.
Script 1: vegan and vegetarian options
Guest: What vegan options do you have? Answer: There are three vegan mains on the current menu, marked VG: the mushroom risotto, the chickpea curry and the roasted vegetable tart. Several starters and desserts are vegan too.
Script 2: children's menu
Guest: Do you have a kids' menu? Answer: Yes, there's a children's menu for under-12s with smaller portions of classic dishes, and high chairs are available.
Script 3: portion sizes
Guest: Are the portions big? Answer: Mains are generous, and most sharing plates suit two people. Smaller portions of some dishes are available at lunch.
Script 4: prices
Guest: How much is a three-course meal roughly? Answer: Most guests spend around $45 to $60 per person for three courses, not including drinks. The full menu with prices is on the website.
Only quote what your menu shows.
Script 5: adapting dishes
Guest: Can the chef make the pasta without cheese? Answer: Many dishes can be adapted. Let your server know when you order and the kitchen will advise. For allergies, please mention them when you arrive.
Allergy questions deserve extra care, covered in the allergy question your staff answer every service.
Script 6: set menus and specials
Guest: Is there a set menu at lunch? Answer: Yes, the lunch set menu is two courses for $22 or three for $27, Monday to Friday until 3pm. Specials change daily and are shown on the website each morning.
Specials and set menus generate a lot of questions because they change often. Updating them online at the same time as the board in the restaurant keeps answers accurate and saves staff from explaining the same change all evening.
Publishing the menu properly
An online menu should include prices, dietary labels, a children's section and a note about adaptations. PDF menus that are hard to read on phones put guests off. A readable web page works better.
Making answers instant
SpideyChat for restaurants answers from your published menu at any hour, which matters because many guests browse menus in the evening and while deciding where to go. Guests who cannot get through by phone also turn to the website, as covered in what happens to restaurant enquiries when the phone rings out.
Some questions should never reach a person
Routine questions with standard answers should not interrupt busy staff, a principle that applies in any business. Software companies apply it to login help, as seen in account and login help that should never reach a human. Price questions in particular are handled well by an assistant, as discussed in how an AI receptionist handles pricing questions.
Check your online menu has prices, labels and a readable format on mobile. Then try an assistant on your restaurant website, or see the features.