# Restaurant chatbot for menus, hours and reservations URL: https://instantknowledgebot.com/solutions/ai-chatbot-for-restaurants Last updated: 2026-10-14 > A restaurant chatbot answers guests' questions about the menu, prices, dietary and allergen information, opening hours, reservations, takeaway and private events, using only your restaurant's own documents. InstantKnowledgeBot's restaurant template never guarantees a dish is allergen-free and collects reservation and event enquiries for your team to confirm. A **restaurant chatbot** answers the questions guests ask before they visit: Are you open on Monday? Do you have gluten-free options? Can I bring a group of twelve? Is there parking? InstantKnowledgeBot builds it from your own menu and house policies, so answers match your restaurant, and it turns booking and event requests into enquiries your team can confirm. ## What do restaurant guests ask? Restaurant phones ring with the same handful of questions, often during the dinner rush. A chatbot on your website, or behind a QR code, can take them: - **Menu and prices**, including specials if you keep them updated. - **Dietary options:** vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal, as your menu describes them. - **Allergens:** what your documents state, with a safety reminder. - **Opening hours**, holiday hours, location and parking. - **Reservations:** how to book, group sizes and deposit policy. - **Takeaway and delivery:** how to order and which platforms you use. - **Private events:** spaces, capacity, minimum spend and how to enquire. The restaurant template's starter questions are "What are your opening hours?", "Do you have vegan or gluten-free options?", "Can I book a table for tonight?" and "Do you host private events?". ## How does the chatbot handle allergens safely? This is the most important rule for any restaurant bot. The template instructs it to: - **Share only what the knowledge base states** about allergens. - **Always add** that guests with severe allergies should confirm with staff before ordering. - **Never guarantee** that a dish is allergen-free. Because every InstantKnowledgeBot bot answers only from your documents, it won't guess at ingredients you haven't listed. If your menu doesn't include allergen information, the bot says it doesn't have it and suggests asking staff. Read more in [AI chatbot hallucinations](/learn/ai-chatbot-hallucinations). ## Can a chatbot handle restaurant reservations? It handles the conversation around them. The template tells the bot it can't confirm reservations itself; it gives your booking link or phone number, or invites the guest to leave their details for a callback, especially for groups and events. With **lead capture** on Pro and Agency (and during the free 14-day Pro trial), that becomes a short "Reservations & events" form in the chat asking for name, phone and a message with date and party size. Each enquiry is emailed to you with the conversation, and it's stored in your dashboard where you can mark it contacted or won. Set-up steps: [chatbot lead capture](/guides/set-up-chatbot-lead-capture). ## What should a restaurant upload? 1. **Your menu** with prices and dietary labels. A PDF menu works if it contains real text (not a scanned image); otherwise paste the text. 2. **Allergen matrix** if you have one. 3. **Hours**, including seasonal and holiday changes. 4. **Booking policy:** group sizes, deposits, cancellations and how to book. 5. **Private events pack:** spaces, capacity, packages. 6. **Takeaway and delivery** details. The restaurant template includes a "what to upload" checklist and a starter FAQ with placeholders you can paste and fill in. ## How do guests reach the chatbot? - **On your website:** paste the chat bubble snippet once and it appears on every page. Works with Wix, Squarespace, WordPress and other site builders; see the [Wix guide](/guides/add-chatbot-to-wix) or [Squarespace guide](/guides/add-chatbot-to-squarespace). - **By QR code:** every bot has a share link and a downloadable QR code. Print it on table cards, menus, takeaway bags or the window so guests can ask questions on their phone. See [share links and QR codes](/guides/embed-chatbot-iframe-share-link). - **In your social bios and Google profile**, via the share link. ## Can it help tourists? Yes. The bot answers in the language the guest writes in, so visitors can ask about your menu in Spanish, Italian, Japanese and many more languages, even if your documents are English. That helps restaurants in tourist areas without maintaining translated menus. More in [multilingual website chatbots](/solutions/multilingual-website-chatbot). ## How do you keep it current? Seasonal menus and holiday hours change often. When they do, replace the document or edit the pasted text in the bot's **Knowledge** tab; the live bot and the QR code keep working with no new code. Check the **knowledge gaps** list now and then: it shows questions guests asked that your documents couldn't answer, such as "Do you have high chairs?" ## What does a restaurant chatbot conversation look like? An example, based on a restaurant's own menu: > **Guest:** Is the risotto gluten-free? I have coeliac disease. > > **Bot:** Our menu lists the mushroom risotto as made without gluten-containing ingredients. Because you have coeliac disease, please confirm with our staff before ordering, as we can't guarantee any dish is completely free of traces. The answer uses only what the menu states and adds the safety reminder from the template. It doesn't claim more certainty than your documents give. ## What mistakes should restaurants avoid? - **Image-only menus.** A menu that's just a photo or a scanned PDF has no readable text. Paste the text instead. - **Old seasonal menus left in the knowledge base.** Remove last season's file when you add the new one, so the bot doesn't describe dishes you no longer serve. - **Missing holiday hours.** "Are you open on New Year's Day?" is a classic question. Add a short note before each holiday period. - **No phone number in the fallback.** Guests with urgent or unusual questions should always have a way to reach you directly. ## What does it cost? The free plan includes one bot and 100 hosted AI messages a month, enough for many small cafés. Busier restaurants and groups can compare plans on the [pricing page](/pricing). Hotels with restaurants may also find the [hotel chatbot page](/solutions/ai-chatbot-for-hotels) useful. [Create your restaurant bot free](/signup). ## Frequently asked questions **Can the restaurant chatbot take reservations?** It doesn't confirm reservations itself. It gives your booking link or phone number, and with lead capture (Pro and Agency, or during the trial) it collects the guest's details, date and party size so your team can confirm. **How does it handle allergen questions?** It shares only what your documents state and always adds that guests with severe allergies should confirm with staff before ordering. It never guarantees a dish is allergen-free. **Can guests use it from a QR code on the table?** Yes. Every bot has a share link and a QR code you can print on menus, table cards or windows. It opens a full-page chat on the guest's phone. **How do I update the menu?** Upload the new menu or edit the pasted text in the dashboard. The live bot updates immediately, and the embed code and QR code stay the same. **Can it answer tourists in other languages?** Yes. The bot replies in the language the guest writes in, even if your menu is only in English.