AI use in Irish Restaurants: Data and Insights

More than half of Irish restaurant managers are already using AI, while diners are more mixed, with a clear desire to have a human within reach. Two blind surveys run by Toast show where each side stands: one of 200 managers on general AI adoption, and one of 300 diners on AI and the restaurant experience.

Margins have been under pressure throughout 2026. The National Minimum Wage rose to €14.15 an hour in January, and it's due to rise again to €14.94 on 1 January 2027. Meanwhile, the CSO reports that hourly labour costs across accommodation and food service were up 3.9% year on year in the second quarter.

For operators stretching the same hours further, AI has become a practical tool, helping them save time and protect margin.

To see where AI in Irish restaurants really stands today, we surveyed 200 Irish restaurant managers and 300 Irish diners in two separate blind surveys. How restaurants use AI behind the scenes is only half the picture. How it looks from the other side of the table matters just as much. Read on to see where both groups land.

Latest Restaurant AI Statistics

• 87% of Irish restaurant managers are excited about AI in restaurants but only 57% of the managers we surveyed are actively using one or more AI-powered tools

• 85% of Irish restaurant managers using AI say it has made their business more profitable over the last year (37% significantly)

• 82% of Irish restaurant managers using AI are saving at least three hours of admin time a week

• 44% of Irish diners are excited about AI in restaurants but 56% say they are not

• 54% of Irish diners say their encounters with AI tools when dining out have increased (17% significantly)

• 59% of Irish diners had no idea some restaurants use AI or algorithms to adjust menu prices, and 70% of Irish diners say it leaves them with a less favourable view of the restaurant

• 78% of Irish diners support clearer rules or regulation requiring restaurants to disclose when AI is used to set prices or personalise offers

• 75% of Irish diners believe large restaurant chains have an AI-fuelled advantage over independents

AI Adoption in Restaurants: Where Irish Operators Stand Today

Enthusiasm vs. Adoption

Irish restaurant managers are on board with AI — 87% say they are excited about the technology in restaurants, and more than half (57%) are already using one or more AI-powered tools in their day-to-day work. Still, there’s a gap between excitement and action.

What's Holding Back Wider AI Adoption

When we asked Irish restaurant managers what stops them using AI more widely across their restaurants, the top three answers were:

• Cost of the technology: 23%

• Lack of know-how or training: 21%

• Integration with existing systems: 13%

Cost leads, with lack of know-how or training just two points behind. That makes how a tool is delivered as important as what it can do. AI assistants like Toast IQ already use and draw on their own data, so there's less to set up and less to learn.

Evidence Builds Trust in AI Restaurant Tools

Asked what would most increase their trust in AI tools for restaurant operations, Irish managers named seeing independent evidence or case studies first (29%).

Practical Steps to Get Started

You don't need a full overhaul to get started with AI. Some of the most measurable wins can come from starting small:

• Inventory and food waste. Linking POS and inventory data to flag stock nearing its use-by date and to build smarter prep lists, so over-ordering doesn't become a habit. Here's how AI can help reduce food waste in Irish restaurants.

• Scheduling and admin. Handing repetitive back-office tasks, like building smarter rotas, to AI tools so they stop eating into a manager's week.

• Transparency with staff. Telling your team how and why you're using AI, whether it's for scheduling or inventory tracking, helps ease any concern before it takes hold.

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

What Irish Restaurants Using AI Are Seeing

Among the Irish managers we surveyed who use AI day to day, inventory management and marketing are tied as the top areas where it's used, at 25% each. Marketing may be a logical place to start, from restaurant slogans to personalised guest emails.

There's a clear appetite for AI tools that take the weight off day-to-day management. So what are the managers using them actually seeing?

Hours Saved

Asked to name the single most measurable benefit AI has delivered for their restaurant, Irish managers who use AI tools put "saving management time" first, at 43%. And 82% of the Irish restaurant managers using AI that we surveyed say they're saving at least three hours of admin time a week. That's time that can go back into what AI can't do, like looking after guests and developing your team.

An Impact on Profitability

For many operators, the clearest case for AI is profit. Among the Irish restaurant managers we surveyed who are using AI in their restaurants, 85% say it has made their business more profitable over the last year (37% significantly).

AI, Staffing and Scheduling

Of the Irish restaurant managers we surveyed who are using AI tools in their day-to-day, 50% are using specific AI tools to help build staff schedules.

And that looks set to grow. 67% of our Irish 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 Teams More Time for Hospitality

People are central to memorable hospitality, and they will stay that way. But with costs rising and teams stretched, operators are rethinking how they manage time, capacity and labour.

As a result, Irish managers largely see AI in a supporting role, taking on time-consuming tasks so teams can work more efficiently. Asked which roles AI would assist rather than replace, they pointed mainly to management and admin (39%) and marketing (26%). Chefs and kitchen staff came bottom of the list at 4%.

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

Where AI Investment Is Heading Over the Next 12 Months

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

• Marketing and customer acquisition (28%)

• Inventory and waste reduction (22%)

• Guest-facing ordering technology (11%)

• Staff scheduling and POS system (tied, 9% each)

Where restaurant technology goes next is still open, but Irish managers have clear plans: marketing and inventory lead the list, with ordering, scheduling and POS close behind.

How Irish Restaurant Guests Feel About AI

Excitement vs. Hesitation

Irish diners see AI in restaurants differently from managers. 44% say they are excited about it; 56% are not. Either way, it's showing up. Compared with 12 months ago, 54% of Irish diners say their encounters with AI tools when dining out have increased (17% significantly).

Keeping a Human in the Loop

42% of the Irish diners we surveyed named a preference for dealing with human staff as their biggest reason for hesitating to use AI tools at a restaurant. Other notable reasons included concerns about staff losing their jobs (20%) and concerns over data and privacy (10%).

Irish diners are also clear about where AI belongs and where it doesn't. They rated resolving problems or complaints (33%) and answering questions about allergens and dietary needs (16%) as the least appropriate uses. And the top answer on what would most increase their trust in restaurant AI, by a distance at 51%, was simply "knowing I can easily reach a human if something goes wrong."

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

Drafting guest emails is one example. AI can speed up the writing and the send, while your team keeps the voice behind it.

What Diners Think About AI-Assisted Pricing

We also asked Irish diners about AI-assisted restaurant pricing. Here's what we found:

Many Diners Don't Know It Happens

59% of Irish diners had no idea some restaurants use AI or algorithms to adjust menu prices.

Diners Are Wary

70% of Irish diners say a restaurant using AI or algorithms to adjust menu prices leaves them with a less favourable view of it.

There's Concern Around Cost

A combined 90% of Irish diners are slightly (29%), moderately (29%) or very (33%) concerned that AI-driven pricing tools will push restaurant meals beyond what they can comfortably afford.

Diners Want Clearer Rules

78% of Irish diners support clearer rules or regulation requiring restaurants to disclose when AI is used to set prices or personalise offers.

Chains vs. Independents: The AI Advantage Diners See

Irish diners also see an imbalance in who benefits most from restaurant AI. 75% believe large restaurant chains hold a competitive advantage because of their use of AI in areas like pricing, marketing and ordering apps: 22% call it significant, 24% moderate and 29% slight.

And 44% of Irish diners say they're less likely to choose a restaurant that uses AI over an independent that doesn't.

That's not necessarily an argument against AI for independent operators. It's an argument for using it where it counts, such as where margins are tight or there's no data analyst on the team, and for leaning into the human-first strengths of great service.

The Verdict: AI in Irish Restaurants in 2026

AI is already part of day-to-day life in Irish restaurants. More than half of managers are using it, and 85% of those who do say it has made their business more profitable. For diners, the message is just as clear: trust matters. They want transparency on AI-driven pricing, and a human they can reach when something goes wrong.

For Irish managers, the opportunity isn't choosing between AI and hospitality. It's finding the balance: letting AI take care of the busywork so there's more time and headspace for the parts of the job guests remember.

Ready to see what that balance looks like in your restaurant?

FAQs: AI in Irish Restaurants in 2026

Are Irish restaurants using AI in 2026?

Yes, and more than half of managers are on board. 87% of Irish restaurant managers say they are excited about AI in restaurants, and 57% are using one or more AI-powered tools. Among managers using AI, 50% use specific tools to help build staff schedules, and 67% of all managers surveyed expect AI to play a bigger role in staffing and scheduling decisions over the next year.

What’s stopping more Irish restaurants from using AI?

Per the survey, the top three reasons were the cost of the technology (23%), lack of know-how or training (21%) and integration with existing systems (13%). When it comes to building trust, 29% of managers said seeing independent evidence or case studies would do the most.

What results are Irish restaurants seeing from AI?

Among managers using AI, 82% say they’re saving at least three hours of admin time a week, and “saving management time” was named the most measurable benefit (43%). 85% say AI has made their business more profitable over the last year, with 37% saying significantly.

Do Irish diners want AI in restaurants?

Opinion is split. 44% of Irish diners are excited about AI in restaurants, while 56% are not. The biggest reason for hesitation is a preference for human staff (42%). Even so, 54% say they’re encountering AI tools more often when dining out than they were 12 months ago.

Are Irish diners concerned about AI and restaurant jobs?

Some are. 20% of Irish diners named concerns about staff losing their jobs as a reason they’d hesitate to use AI tools at a restaurant, and 42% said they prefer dealing with human staff. Managers tend to see AI as a support rather than a replacement: they pointed mainly to management and admin (39%) and marketing (26%) as the roles AI will assist, with chefs and kitchen staff at 4%.

What would make Irish diners trust AI in restaurants more?

Human backup and clear rules. The biggest trust driver, at 51%, is knowing they can easily reach a human if something goes wrong. 78% of Irish 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 August 10th to September 6th, 2026, sampling 200 Irish restaurant managers and 300 Irish diners. Active AI usage statistics reflect responses from 113 restaurant managers who currently use AI tools. Some percentages have been rounded.