AI Use in Australian Restaurants: Data and Insights

Australian restaurant managers are keen on AI. Australian diners still want a human in the mix. That's the picture from two blind surveys run by Toast: 400 managers on general AI adoption, and 500 diners on AI and the restaurant experience.

Australian dining in 2026 is competitive and fast-moving, with tight margins. The Fair Work Commission increased modern award wages by nearly 5%. Energy, insurance and rent are climbing too, and with unemployment edging up, diners may be more cautious with their spending.

Against a backdrop where operators are being asked to do more with the same number of hours in the day, AI has stopped being a futuristic talking point. For many of the restaurants already using it, it's become a practical way to save time and protect margin. For example, operators can use AI to write effective job ads and target the right potential hires.  

Latest Restaurant AI Statistics

• 89% of Australian restaurant managers are excited about AI in restaurants but only 49% of the managers we surveyed are actively using one or more AI-powered tools

• 88% of Australian restaurant managers using AI say it has made their business more profitable over the last year (28% significantly)

• 89% of Australian restaurant managers using AI are saving at least three hours of admin time a week

• 45% of Australian diners are excited about AI in restaurants but 55% say they are not

• 52% of Australian diners say their encounters with AI tools when dining out have increased (21% significantly)

• 56% of Australian diners had no idea some restaurants use AI or algorithms to adjust menu prices, and 60% say it leaves them with a less favourable view of the restaurant

• 74% of Australian diners support clearer rules or regulation requiring restaurants to disclose when AI is used to set prices or personalise offers

• 75% of Australian diners believe large restaurant chains hold a competitive advantage because of their use of AI

To find out exactly where AI in Australian restaurants stands today, we asked 400 Australian restaurant managers and 500 Australian diners in two separate blind surveys. Because how restaurants are using AI operationally is only half the picture. What it looks like from the other side of the table matters just as much. Keep reading to see where both sets of respondents land.

AI Adoption in Restaurants: Where Australian Operators Stand

The Enthusiasm Gap

Australian restaurant managers are split on excitement versus actual usage of AI. While 89% say they are excited about AI technology in restaurants, there's caution when it comes to actual tool usage. In fact, of all the Australian restaurant managers we surveyed, under half (49%) are currently using one or more AI-powered tools in their day-to-day work.

Biggest Hurdles to Wider AI Adoption

When it comes to why Australian restaurant managers aren't adopting the technology more broadly across their venues, the top three reasons were:

• Lack of know-how or training: 21%

• Cost of the technology: 20%

• Integration with existing systems: 16%

The biggest barrier isn't the price tag. Lack of know-how or training edged out cost, which means how a tool is built matters as much as what it can do. AI assistants like Toast IQ are built for restaurants and designed to work within the technology platform venues already use, so there's less to learn and less to connect.

Evidence Is Key to Building Trust in AI Restaurant Tools

When asked what would most increase their trust in AI tools for restaurant operations, the top answer from Australian restaurant managers was seeing independent evidence or case studies (30%).

Practical Steps

The good news is that AI adoption doesn't have to start with a full technology overhaul. Some of the most measurable wins could come from starting small:

• Inventory and food waste. Linking POS and inventory data to flag stock nearing its use-by date, or to generate smarter prep lists before over-ordering becomes a habit.

• Scheduling and admin. Using modern, automated tools to take on the repetitive back-office tasks, like rostering, that eat into a manager's week.

• Transparency with staff. Explaining how and why AI is being used, whether it's in scheduling or inventory tracking, goes a long way towards easing potential employee concern before it takes hold.

• The right tech stack. Prioritise tools that talk to your existing POS or are built directly into your platform, rather than adding on pricey, disconnected tools.

What AI Adopters Are Actually Seeing

According to the Australian restaurant managers we surveyed who currently use AI in their day-to-day, inventory management (20%) and marketing (18%) are the top areas where their business uses it. Marketing is a natural starting point, from restaurant slogans to translations for multilingual menus.

There's clearly an appetite for AI tools that ease day-to-day management tasks. But what are the managers using them actually seeing?

Hours Saved

When we asked Australian restaurant managers who use AI tools to name the single most measurable benefit AI has delivered for their restaurant, "saving management time" came out on top.

In addition, 89% of the Australian restaurant managers using AI that we surveyed say they are saving at least three hours of admin time a week with the help of AI restaurant tools. That's a significant chunk of time that can be reinvested in the parts of the job AI can't do, like delivering great service or upskilling your team.

An Impact on Profitability

There's perhaps no stronger case for restaurant AI tools than the prospect of real profit. So it's notable that, among the Australian restaurant managers we surveyed who are using AI in their restaurants, 88% say it has made their business more profitable over the last year (28% significantly).

AI Staffing and Scheduling Impact

Of the Australian restaurant managers we surveyed who are using AI tools in their day-to-day, 54% are using specific AI tools to help build staff schedules. And that's set to grow. 72% of our Australian restaurant manager survey respondents say they expect AI to play a bigger role in operational decision-making, specifically with staffing and scheduling decisions, over the next year.

Giving Restaurant Teams More Time for Hospitality

People are, and will remain, central to memorable hospitality experiences. However, challenging economic conditions are forcing operators to think differently about how they manage costs, capacity and increasingly stretched teams.

As a result, Australian restaurant managers largely see AI playing a supporting role by handling time-consuming tasks and helping teams work more efficiently. When asked which roles they thought AI would assist rather than replace, managers mainly pointed to management and admin (32%) and marketing (26%). Chefs and kitchen staff came last at 7%.

Tools like Toast IQ are designed with this supportive role in mind, empowering restaurant teams with proactive, personalised insights across areas including revenue and scheduling, all drawn from their own Toast platform.

Where the Next 12 Months of AI Investment Is Going

Looking ahead, managers' top investment priorities for AI over the next 12 months are:

1. Marketing and customer acquisition (24%)

2. Inventory and waste reduction (16%)

3. Guest-facing ordering technology (10%)

4. POS system (10%) 

5. Back-office admin automation (9%)

6. Staff scheduling (9%)

How AI restaurant technology evolves remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Australian restaurant managers have big plans to build it into many parts of their operations over the next year.

How Australian Restaurant Guests Feel About AI

Excitement vs. Hesitation

Australian diners are far less united than managers about the prospect of AI showing up in restaurants. 45% say they are excited about AI in restaurants; 55% are not. And whether diners are cheering or not, AI is turning up at the table. Compared with 12 months ago, 52% of Australian diners say their encounters with AI tools when dining out have increased (21% significantly).

Why the Human Touch Still Matters

40% of the Australian diners we surveyed named a preference for interacting with human staff as their biggest reason they'd hesitate to use AI tools at a restaurant. Other notable reasons for hesitation included concerns over data and privacy (15%) and concerns about staff losing their jobs (12%).

Australian diners also draw a clear line around where they'll accept AI and where they won't. The situations rated least appropriate for AI were resolving problems or complaints (23%) and answering questions about allergens and dietary needs (18%). And when asked what would most increase their trust in restaurant AI, the top answer by far, at 48%, was simply "knowing I can easily reach a human if something goes wrong."

So the lesson for operators isn't to pick AI or people. It's to use AI where diners are less likely to mind (a well-timed offer, a smarter stocktake) and protect the human touch exactly where it matters most.

For example, restaurant managers and operators could save time by using AI to write guest emails, personalising and automating the send without losing the voice behind it.

AI Pricing and Transparency 

With cost of living front of mind for many diners, we asked about AI-assisted restaurant pricing. Here's what we found:

There is an AI pricing knowledge gap

56% of Australian diners had no idea some restaurants use AI or algorithms to adjust menu prices.

Diners aren't fully supportive

60% of Australian diners say it leaves them with a less favourable view of the restaurant.

There's concern around cost

A combined 87% of Australian diners are slightly (27%), moderately (29%) or very (31%) concerned that AI-driven pricing tools will push restaurant meals beyond what they can comfortably afford.

Diners would support AI pricing regulation

74% of Australian diners support clearer rules or regulation requiring restaurants to disclose when AI is used to set prices or personalise offers.

Do Chains Have the AI Advantage Over Independents?

In general, Australian diners see a real imbalance in who benefits most from restaurant AI. According to our consumer survey, 75% believe large restaurant chains hold a competitive advantage because of their use of AI in areas like pricing, marketing and ordering apps: 21% call it significant, 26% moderate, and 28% slight.

And 35% of Australian diners say they're less likely to choose a restaurant that uses AI over an independent restaurant that doesn't.

That's not necessarily an argument against AI for smaller, independent operators. It's an argument for using it strategically where margins are tight or having a data analyst isn't an option, and for leaning into the human-first strengths of great service where it matters.

The Verdict: AI in Australian Restaurants in 2026

AI in Australian restaurants isn't a future prospect. It's already shaping how venues staff, price and run their businesses day to day. For diners, trust is a key part of the conversation. They're hesitant about AI-informed pricing, and they want a human safety net too.

For Australian managers, the opportunity isn't choosing between AI and hospitality. It's finding the balance: using AI to handle the busywork, so there's more time and headspace for the parts of the job a diner will always notice. Ready to see what that balance looks like for your restaurant?

FAQs: AI in Australian Restaurants in 2026

Are Australian restaurants using AI in 2026?

Yes, though adoption lags behind enthusiasm. 89% of Australian restaurant managers say they are excited about AI in restaurants, but only 49% are currently using one or more AI-powered tools. Among managers using AI, 54% use specific tools to help build staff schedules, and 72% of all managers surveyed expect AI to play a bigger role in staffing and scheduling decisions over the next year.

What's stopping more Australian restaurants from adopting AI?

Know-how comes first, then cost. The top three barriers were lack of know-how or training (21%), cost of the technology (20%) and integration with existing systems (16%). When it comes to building trust, 30% of managers said independent evidence or case studies would do the most.

What results are Australian restaurants seeing from AI?

Among managers using AI, 89% say they're saving at least three hours of admin time a week, and "saving management time" was named the most measurable benefit. 88% say AI has made their business more profitable over the last year, with 28% saying significantly.

Do Australian diners want AI in restaurants?

Opinion is split. 45% of Australian diners are excited about AI in restaurants, while 55% are not. The biggest hesitation is a preference for human staff, cited by 40%. Even so, 52% say they're encountering AI tools more often when dining out than they were 12 months ago.

What would make Australian diners trust AI in restaurants more?

Human backup and clear rules. The single biggest trust driver, at 48%, is knowing they can easily reach a human if something goes wrong. 74% of Australian diners also support clearer rules or regulation requiring restaurants to disclose when AI is used to set prices or personalise offers.

Methodology and Sources

Based on two blind surveys conducted by Toast via Pollfish between 10 and 24 August 2026, sampling 400 Australian restaurant managers and 500 Australian diners. Active AI usage statistics reflect responses from 215 restaurant managers who currently use AI tools. Some percentages have been rounded.