AI for restaurants: Making AI tools and digital strategies a recipe for growth

• Tools to work smarter: In search of AI skills for restaurant operations, owner Patrick Cheng turned to Verizon’s free skill-development courses to learn how AI tools and digital strategies could help him work smarter and grow his business.

• Putting AI learning to work: Cheng uses AI to reduce manual onboarding and administrative tasks, freeing up time and boosting employee retention.

• AI skills drive long-term business growth: AI tools and data-driven strategies helped Cheng shift his focus from short-term sales to long-term growth, leading to increased daily revenue in only a few months

When Patrick Cheng decided to acquire a run-down Chinese restaurant in Dunwoody, Georgia, in 2020, he was at a professional crossroads. His rapidly growing homestay rental business had suddenly shut down due to the global pandemic and, like many small-business owners at the time, he was forced to pivot. After seeing high customer demand, Cheng went all in on the restaurant. But even with a degree in business administration and a family background in food service, he soon found that he lacked the knowledge to sustain and scale the business.

That problem turned around when Cheng discovered Verizon’s free skill-development program, Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, and began taking courses on AI, digital marketing strategies, branding and operations. His experience shows how restaurant owners can use practical AI tools and digital skills to improve operations, save time and drive measurable business results.

Verizon is building on that approach through the Small Business AI Accelerator, an immersive 12-week program designed to help select small businesses develop and apply AI skills. Small-business owners can explore Verizon’s free AI courses and resources to find practical ways to put AI to work.

Attentive to every aspect of the business, Cheng checks in on the back of the house at General Tso’s. Photo credit: Tom Sanders.

Of everything he learned, Cheng says the AI resources “impacted almost every level of the business.” He now uses AI tools for restaurant operations, including employee training, new-hire onboarding and customer service, which has freed up 50% of his time and more than doubled employee retention. “We’re able to train and retain our employees at a higher rate because they actually know what they’re coming into—things you think they know, but do not know,” he explains.

Instead of building documents such as training manuals from scratch, Cheng uploaded an industry-standard template into an AI platform and used the prompting techniques he learned through Verizon to create tailored standard operating procedures based on information he had provided about General Tso’s. He’s also using AI-powered technology to answer phones, take orders and catalog customer feedback.

“We’re using this to improve our processes [on an ongoing basis],” Cheng says. Every piece of feedback, whether it’s food quality or a delivery issue, gets reviewed and resolved. That visibility has been key to General Tso’s growth. “With the right data, we’re able to see what’s really affecting revenue growth,” Cheng says.

Cheng finds joy in helping in the kitchen when he can. Photo credit: Tom Sanders.

After taking more than a dozen of the program’s free courses on digital marketing strategies, branding and operations, Cheng realized where he needed to improve. “We didn’t establish a strong brand identity or message that would help us stand out. We were just working harder, not smarter,” he says.

What Cheng learned helped shift his focus from short-term revenue gains to long-term strategic growth. He made several key changes that created a domino effect, ultimately doubling his average daily revenue in just a few months. One of those changes included an upgraded point-of-sale system that captures more customer data.

Cheng invests in his staff, keeping mentorship and their development as high priorities. Photo credit: Tom Sanders.

“[Straight] sales numbers were not enabling us to make decisions,” Cheng explains. “Now we have marketing, advertising and loyalty programs. We have new subscribers daily.” Adding new digital strategies for automated promotions and new ways to convert customers drove a surge in repeat and online sales. “That’s the power of data-driven decisions,” he says.

He also learned about the importance of good reviews to improve his website’s organic search ranking. That insight led Cheng to implement in-house delivery, giving him greater control over quality and customer feedback while allowing the restaurant to expand its delivery radius.

Catering partnerships make up 70% of General Tso’s business. Photo credit: Tom Sanders.

Inspired in part by Verizon’s free program, Cheng wants to pay forward what he’s learned by helping other small-business owners, including non-native English speakers who may face cultural and language barriers. He has used AI tools to help with tasks such as translating applications and preparing federal contract bids.

“Thousands of family-run Chinese restaurants struggle due to outdated marketing, inefficient operations and lack of digital integration,” Cheng says. “Our mission is to revitalize these businesses and build a system that empowers other restaurant owners, creates jobs and uplifts the community.”

In the future, Cheng envisions developing what he calls “AI employees,” which are AI agents designed to handle recurring tasks. “AI [would be] working for me 24/7,” he says.

For all the ways Cheng now uses AI, he traces his start back to Verizon. “Without the Verizon courses, I would have been stuck. I would not have started [using AI],” he says. The learnings, Cheng says, provided a foundation he was lacking, and then a template to turn the new knowledge into an actionable plan. “Now I take the good ideas and say, ‘Hey, this is doable and executable. This is valuable.’”

Discover free AI courses and resources designed to help small-business owners put AI to work.