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Thousands of Texas restaurants could soon rely on a locally-founded artificial intelligence receptionist to answer phone calls through a new partnership with the Texas Restaurant Association.<\/p>\n
Ricardo B. Brazziell \/ Austin American-Statesman\t<\/p>\n
Thousands of Texas restaurants could soon be using an Austin-founded artificial intelligence<\/a> receptionist to answer phone calls through a new partnership with the Texas Restaurant Association.<\/p>\n The trade group signed an exclusive partnership with Austin-based Maitly.ai<\/a> with the goal of helping restaurants and other hospitality businesses manage phone calls by embracing AI.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cAI\u2019s there to alleviate the pain points of picking up the phone, focusing on the customer in front of you and missing calls,\u201d Ben Knorr, TRA\u2019s vice president of strategic initiatives, told the American-Statesman. \u201cBut this is freeing staff up to be that hospitable food service worker that they\u2019re intended to be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Roughly 63% of Americans still call restaurants to book reservations and ask questions, according to a 2025 survey from The Harris Poll. But over half of those calls go unanswered, and two-thirds of Americans say they ditch a restaurant if no one answers the phone.<\/p>\n At the West Sixth Street Canopy by Hilton, home to Verbena Food & Drink, general manager Arnoldo Rodriguez said hosts no longer have time to help customers both in person and over the phone. With Maitly, he said his staff is able to focus on serving guests in person.<\/p>\n FOOD & DRINK:\u00a0Austin\u2019s buzzworthy restaurant openings, plus recent closures to know in April<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThose hectic times where there are a million calls coming through and people trying to make reservations, it was really putting my staff into a bind,\u201d\u00a0 Rodriguez said. \u201cIt\u2019s transformed the whole experience when it comes to their jobs. My staff can focus more on the in-person experience rather than being tied up on the phone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The small AI company was founded by CEO Ben Wolfenden in 2024 and currently employs fewer than a dozen people, according to its social media. But it\u2019s already serving more than a thousand restaurants nationwide. The 24\/7 AI receptionist takes incoming calls for restaurants, answering customer questions, booking reservations and organizing accommodations.<\/p>\n Knorr said the partnership is new but is part of a larger association\u00a0mission to encourage AI adoption in hospitality, one of the largest industries in the nation\u00a0\u2014 but one that has historically been slow to adopt new technology.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n