Section OneThe Field Guide

For Restaurant
Operators

Multi-unit, franchise, and corporate teams putting AI to work across food cost, labor, loss prevention, and the P&L. No jargon, no consultant talk, just what works on the floor.

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On the line

Every operator guide

Newest first. Written by operators, for operators.

The Long Read8 min

What is an AI agent? Explained like a kitchen

A chatbot is a cookbook; an agent is a line cook that does the work — the whole idea, plus a 15-minute build-your-own.

The Expo Team
Recipe Card20 min

How to set up the file that tells your AI how you work

A CLAUDE.md, an AGENTS.md, or project instructions — the one-page file that makes AI work the way you do.

The Expo Kitchen
Recipe Card15 min

How to stop your AI from making things up

Plan first, a second set of eyes, check the source — the routine that catches the wrong number before you do.

The Expo Kitchen
Recipe Card10 min

How to keep long AI sessions from getting dumb and expensive

Why long chats slow down and cost more — and the handoff that fixes both in ten minutes.

The Expo Kitchen
The Long Read5 min

Which Claude model should you use?

Fable, Opus, Sonnet, Haiku — the whole Claude lineup explained as a kitchen brigade.

The Expo Team
Recipe Card15 min

How to set up a folder Claude works from

Point Claude at the folder where your reports and invoices land — no more dragging files.

The Expo Team
The Long Read6 min

How to connect your restaurant’s data to AI

What it means to connect your numbers to Claude or ChatGPT — and what it takes.

The Expo Team
Recipe Card15 min

How to check trends and seasonality using AI

Three numbers, one prompt: tell a real shift from the normal season in fifteen minutes.

The Expo Team
Recipe Card14 months

How to build your own restaurant AI platform in 14 months

A complete, honest recipe: 16 steps, timed and priced. Every step is real. That's the problem.

By Will Pacio
The Long Read7 min

Best AI and analytics tools for restaurants (2026)

The category, organized like Escoffier's brigade — which station is down?

The Expo Team
The Long Read6 min

How do I use AI in my restaurant? The operator's answer

Point AI at your numbers, not your kitchen. Five steps operators actually run.

By Will Pacio
The Long Read6 min

Restaurant analytics software: what it does, what it costs, when you don't need it

Most of the market is a pretty dashboard. What to expect in basis points, and the honest math on when to buy.

By Will Pacio
The Long Read9 min

AI strategy for restaurant CFOs: the missing half

Most AI advice stops at structured data. The real lift is the unstructured half.

By Will Pacio
Recipe Card15 min

Draft your Monday GM email with AI in 15 minutes

One prompt, a four-sentence draft, and your Sunday night back.

The Expo Kitchen
Recipe CardRecipe

Have Claude read last week's sales report and flag what to look at

Drag in the file, ask three questions, get a read worth acting on.

The Expo Kitchen
For OperatorsGuide

Three real AI plays for multi-unit operators

Skip the hype. Three uses of AI that pay for themselves this quarter.

By Will Pacio
For OperatorsGuide

Yes, use Claude for your restaurant. Here's what has to be true first.

The honest prerequisites before AI is useful in your back office.

By Will Pacio
Getting StartedGuide

How to start using AI in your restaurant this weekend

A weekend-sized first step that turns into an everyday habit.

By Will Pacio
The family meal

One dispatch, every week

One new operator guide, one tool worth trying, zero fluff. The short weekly email the crew reads before service.

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