PLANTA was founded in 2016 by Steven Salm and chef David Lee with one idea: make plant-based dining something everyone wants. It worked — the group now runs 15 buzzy, packed restaurants across North America. But every host faced the same impossible choice each night: answer the ringing phone, or greet the guest standing right in front of them.
The group tested an AI voice system at two locations. It answered calls the hospitality way, let guests book directly, and logged exactly what everyone was calling about. The efficiency gains were immediate — so PLANTA expanded it to all fifteen restaurants.
A year later
The AI answered 87,578 phone calls in twelve months, and half of all calls were fully handled without any human intervention. But the surprise win wasn't the answered calls — it was the visibility. "We're able to track call volume and what people are calling about, which is so insightful," said Christine Hasircoglu, VP of Restaurant. "Technology like Slang AI has truly transformed positions in our restaurants and allowed our teams to be more guest-focused."
Translation: "Now our onsite teams barely have to answer the phone. It's great." The hosts went back to hosting.
If your team is splitting itself between the phone and the people in the room, book a free 15-minute walkthrough and we'll show you what that split looks like when the phone answers itself.