When Amanda Flores, General Manager at Flour + Water, picked up the phone for the hundredth time that evening, she knew something had to change. The San Francisco restaurant was missing 36% of incoming calls during peak hours, turning away potential guests and leaving money on the table. (Hostie AI)
Four weeks later, that number dropped to just 3%. Reservations increased by 20%, walk-ins jumped 13%, and the phone experience transformed from a pain point into a competitive advantage. (Hostie AI)
This is the story of how one restaurant partnered with Hostie AI to revolutionize their guest communications and drive measurable business results.
Flour + Water had built a reputation as one of San Francisco's premier dining destinations. But behind the scenes, the restaurant was struggling with a problem that plagues the entire industry: phone management. (Expedite News)
The numbers were stark:
"We knew we were losing business every time the phone rang and no one could answer," explains Amanda Flores. "Our team was stretched thin during service, and guests calling for reservations were getting sent straight to voicemail." (Hostie AI)
This challenge isn't unique to Flour + Water. Industry research shows that over two-thirds of Americans are willing to abandon restaurants that don't answer their phones. (Hostie AI) With 63% of guests still preferring to call restaurants directly, missing these calls means missing revenue. (Hostie AI)
In mid-2024, Flour + Water partnered with Hostie, an AI-powered phone concierge designed specifically for restaurants. (Hostie AI) Unlike generic chatbots, Hostie was built to understand the nuances of restaurant operations and guest hospitality.
24/7 Availability: Hostie listens, understands, and responds just like a seasoned host, but never takes a break. (Hostie AI) This means guests can make reservations, ask about menu items, or get directions at any hour.
Seamless Integration: The platform works with any phone system and can replace existing systems entirely, porting existing numbers without disruption. (Hostie AI) For Flour + Water, this meant no downtime during implementation.
Intelligent Call Routing: When Hostie can't handle a request, it automatically transfers the call to any designated number or specific department. (Hostie AI) This ensures complex requests still reach human staff when needed.
Natural Conversation Flow: Built to feel natural and intuitive, Hostie engages guests in conversations that feel genuinely hospitable rather than robotic. (Hostie AI)
The implementation process was surprisingly swift. Hostie's team worked closely with Flour + Water to:
The restaurant industry has seen a significant shift towards AI-powered phone systems, with modern solutions generating additional revenue of $3,000 to $18,000 per month per location. (Hostie AI) For Flour + Water, the investment paid off almost immediately.
| Metric | Before Hostie | After Hostie (4 weeks) | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missed Calls | 36% | 3% | 92% reduction |
| Call Resolution | Manual | 1,300+ automated | 100% automation |
| Response Time | Variable | Instant | Immediate |
| After-hours Coverage | None | 24/7 | Complete coverage |
The most dramatic improvement was in call handling. Just four weeks after implementation, Hostie had resolved over 1,300 phone calls through AI. (Hostie AI) This represented a complete transformation from the previous system where over one-third of calls went unanswered.
Reservations Growth: The restaurant saw a 20% increase in reservations compared to just 6% growth in August 2023. (Hostie AI) This represented a significant acceleration in booking velocity.
Walk-in Traffic Surge: Perhaps even more impressive was the 13% increase in walk-ins versus just 2% in August 2023—a 7x year-over-year improvement. (Hostie AI) This suggests that better phone service created positive word-of-mouth and improved the overall guest experience.
Beyond the revenue numbers, Flour + Water experienced significant operational improvements:
Flour + Water's success reflects a broader trend in the restaurant industry. The global food automation market is projected to reach $14 billion by the end of 2024, with a potential 69% increase in AI and robotics use in fast food restaurants by 2027. (Hostie AI)
Recent analysis of over 500,000 restaurant calls between Q4 2024 and Q2 2025 showed that AI systems deliver a 91% drop in hold time and an 87% reduction in missed calls compared to traditional live hosts during peak dining hours. (Hostie AI)
For restaurants like Flour + Water, this technology represents more than just efficiency gains—it's about maintaining the hospitality standards that define great dining experiences. (Hostie AI)
"The transformation has been remarkable," says Amanda Flores, reflecting on the four-week implementation period. "We went from constantly worrying about missed calls to having complete confidence that every guest inquiry is handled professionally, even when we're in the weeds during service."
The impact extended beyond just answering phones. "Our staff morale improved because they weren't constantly interrupted by routine calls during busy periods. They could focus on the guests in front of them, which is what hospitality is really about."
Flores particularly appreciated the seamless integration: "Hostie didn't disrupt our operations at all. It just quietly started handling calls better than we ever could manually. The fact that it works with our existing phone system meant no learning curve for the team."
One of Hostie's key advantages is its ability to integrate with existing restaurant technology stacks. The platform handles calls, texts, emails, reservations, and takeout orders while integrating seamlessly with existing reservation and POS systems. (Hostie AI)
For multi-location restaurants, this integration capability is particularly valuable. Hostie now handles over 80% of guest communications automatically for partner establishments, with teams reporting growing customer satisfaction in the dining experience after integration. (Hostie AI)
The platform's flexibility extends to various integration scenarios:
The transformation at Flour + Water illustrates a fundamental shift in how restaurants can approach guest communications. What was once a source of stress and lost revenue became a competitive differentiator.
"From voicemail purgatory to AI-powered hospitality, Flour + Water's phone experience is no longer a pain point—it's a strength," notes the restaurant's management team. (Hostie AI)
This transformation is particularly significant given industry trends. With 57% of hospitality owners worldwide adopting automation as a critical survival strategy, and 58% of people aged 18-38 being more likely to return to restaurants that use automation, Flour + Water positioned itself ahead of the curve. (Hostie AI)
Flour + Water's experience offers several key insights for similar establishments:
The 20% increase in reservations and 13% boost in walk-ins demonstrate that improving phone service has measurable business impact. (Hostie AI)
The four-week timeline from setup to full deployment shows that restaurants don't need to endure months of disruption to see results.
By handling routine calls, AI systems free staff to focus on in-person hospitality, improving both efficiency and job satisfaction.
With Hostie answering calls around the clock, restaurants can capture reservations and inquiries that would otherwise be lost to voicemail.
Hostie's ability to work with existing phone systems means restaurants can upgrade their capabilities without replacing their entire technology stack. (Hostie AI)
Flour + Water's success with Hostie reflects broader industry trends toward AI-powered customer experience tools. (Hostie AI) As AI voice restaurant hosts become increasingly popular in cities like New York, Miami, Atlanta, and San Francisco, early adopters like Flour + Water are establishing competitive advantages. (Wired)
The restaurant has continued to see benefits well beyond the initial four-week period. Hostie has now answered over 300 hours of phone calls in the past year, representing thousands of guest interactions that might otherwise have been missed or handled less efficiently. (Hostie AI)
Before Hostie implementation, average call handling time varied significantly based on staff availability and experience. With AI handling routine inquiries, call durations became more consistent and efficient:
While specific satisfaction scores weren't disclosed, the 13% increase in walk-ins suggests improved word-of-mouth and guest experience. (Hostie AI) This aligns with industry data showing that teams report growing customer satisfaction after AI integration. (Hostie AI)
By automating routine phone tasks, Flour + Water reduced the need for dedicated phone staff during peak hours, allowing existing team members to focus on higher-value guest service activities.
Based on their successful deployment, several best practices emerge:
Hostie's effectiveness at Flour + Water stems from its restaurant-specific design. Unlike generic AI assistants, the platform was built by and for the restaurant industry, understanding the unique challenges of hospitality communications. (Hostie AI)
The system's natural language processing capabilities allow it to handle complex requests while maintaining the warm, hospitable tone that guests expect from fine dining establishments. This balance between efficiency and hospitality is crucial for restaurants like Flour + Water that have built their reputation on exceptional service.
Flour + Water's transformation from missing 36% of calls to handling over 1,300 automated interactions in just four weeks demonstrates the immediate impact that well-implemented AI can have on restaurant operations. (Hostie AI)
The 20% increase in reservations and 13% boost in walk-ins represent more than just numbers—they reflect a fundamental improvement in guest experience and operational efficiency. (Hostie AI) By partnering with Hostie, the restaurant transformed a persistent pain point into a competitive advantage.
For full-service restaurants facing similar challenges with phone management, Flour + Water's case study provides a clear roadmap for success. The combination of immediate implementation, measurable results, and ongoing operational benefits makes AI-powered phone systems an increasingly essential tool for modern restaurant operations.
As Amanda Flores reflects: "We're not just answering phones better—we're creating better experiences for our guests from the very first point of contact. That's what hospitality is all about."
💡 Ready to see Hostie in action?
Flour + Water implemented Hostie AI to automate their phone communications, which previously resulted in 36% of calls being missed during peak hours. The AI system handled calls, texts, and emails automatically, allowing the restaurant to capture more reservations and improve guest experience. Within four weeks, they saw a 20% increase in reservations and 13% increase in walk-ins.
According to the case study data, Hostie AI now handles over 80% of guest communications automatically for partner establishments like Flour + Water and Slanted Door. This includes managing calls, texts, emails, reservations, and order placements without human intervention.
Modern AI solutions are generating an additional revenue of $3,000 to $18,000 per month per location, which can be up to 25 times the cost of the AI host itself. This significant ROI comes from capturing previously missed calls and improving overall customer experience.
Over two-thirds of Americans are willing to abandon restaurants that don't answer their phones, making efficient phone service critical for the restaurant industry. Restaurants that miss calls during peak hours, like Flour + Water was experiencing with 36% of missed calls, lose potential revenue and customers to competitors.
Hostie AI can be integrated with major systems like OpenTable reservations and Square POS in under 60 minutes. The platform seamlessly connects with leading reservation systems and POS platforms, allowing for zero-touch reservations where calls flow directly from the AI system to the restaurant's operations without human intervention.
Analysis of over 500,000 restaurant calls between Q4 2024 and Q2 2025 showed that AI phone systems deliver a 91% drop in hold time and an 87% reduction in missed calls compared to traditional live hosts during peak dining hours. This dramatically improves customer satisfaction and revenue capture.
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