From trend to transformation: What AI really means for F&B businesses

Security needs to be part of the conversation

As AI tools become more powerful and widely adopted, the risks also grow — particularly around cyber security. For F&B businesses that rely on external vendors or cloud-based systems, those risks can extend well beyond your team.

If a third-party reservation or delivery platform gets hacked, your business can be exposed. Sensitive customer data, payment information, operational access, are just a few examples of what can be compromised. The damage isn’t just technical. It can impact trust and reputation.

That’s why basic cyber hygiene is vital. It’s not about overengineering your defences but about doing the fundamentals well. You create a strong foundation for easier adoption by:

• Know what information you’re sharing with vendors and where it’s stored
• Limit access to critical internal and third-party applications and regularly review who has access
• Use multi-factor authentication, even if it is inconvenient
• Ensure backups exist and are secure, with offline or immutable versions that are tested regularly
• Regularly provide cyber awareness training for all staff to recognize phishing, social engineering, and other threat attempts

Don’t overlook your data quality

One of the biggest challenges F&B businesses face with AI isn’t the technology but the data.

AI models rely on clean, structured, consistent, and sufficiently large data sets to deliver reliable results. Many businesses are still working with fragmented systems, outdated spreadsheets, or siloed information. That makes it hard to get a clear view of operations and lay the groundwork for automation.

The good news is, improving your data doesn’t require massive investment. It starts with mapping out what data you have, where it lives, and who uses it. From there, you can begin standardizing inputs, cleaning up inconsistencies, and identifying gaps.

Think of your data like ingredients in a recipe. The better the inputs, the better the outcome. Even the most advanced tools rely on accurate, well-managed data to deliver quality results.

AI enhances people but doesn’t replace them

There’s a popular fear that AI will replace jobs or eliminate the need for human input. However, in most F&B use cases, the opposite is true.

AI is best used to handle routine, repetitive tasks, freeing people to focus on higher-value work. It can’t replace experience, judgment, or context. It doesn’t know your customer the way you do, and it doesn’t have your instincts or relationships.

That’s why the most successful businesses don’t see AI as a replacement. They see it as support, a way to reduce friction in their processes so people can focus on what matters — from product quality to customer experience.

Whether it’s automating paperwork, surfacing trends in customer behaviour, or improving scheduling, AI can complement your team’s strengths. However, it still needs human oversight to be truly effective.

Five practical ways to move forward

If you’re ready to explore AI for your business, start with what’s actionable. Here are five steps to consider:

1. Identify a bottleneck: Choose one area where delays, inconsistencies, or inefficiencies are costing you time or money.
2. Audit your data: Take stock of what information you’re collecting, how it’s stored, and where it might be incomplete or disorganized.
3. Start with a small-scale project: Choose something that is low-risk but meaningful. Which you can track, learn from, and adjust without disrupting day-to-day operations.
4. Bring in the right people: Don’t limit AI discussions to IT. Involve team members from finance, operations, customer service, and even external advisors for guidance.
5. Tighten your cyber protocols: Before rolling out any tools, make sure your security basics are in place — and documented.

A thoughtful approach will always outperform a trendy one

The food and beverage sector has never stood still. Whether it was adopting automated equipment, launching e-commerce channels, or shifting toward sustainability, innovation has always played a role in how businesses stay competitive.

AI is simply the next step. But unlike other shifts, it’s less about buying the right tool and more about asking the right questions.

Where can we work smarter? Where are we wasting time or effort? What would our team do better if they had more breathing room?

AI won’t answer those questions for you — but it can help you act on them. And it doesn’t require a massive transformation. It just requires a straightforward look at your operations and a willingness to test new ideas.

The businesses that succeed with AI won’t be the ones with the biggest budgets or flashiest tools. They’ll be the ones that take the time to learn, adapt, and apply it in ways that make sense for their people and processes.

You don’t need to be an expert to start. But in today’s market, doing nothing is a bigger risk than doing something imperfectly.