A Week Into 2025

Canada's Restaurant Coach, Jay Ashton

We’re only a week into 2025, and it already feels like the ground is shifting beneath us. Something big is happening, something that’s been quietly brewing but is now impossible to ignore. AI, once a buzzword floating on the horizon, has firmly planted itself in the here and now. The last few weeks have brought an acceleration that feels less like evolution and more like revolution.

For those of us in the restaurant industry, the signs are everywhere. AI is no longer just a tool; it’s becoming the invisible hand shaping the way we work, serve, and create. This isn’t about robots taking over or kitchens turning into sci-fi labs. It’s about something much more profound: the fusion of technology and hospitality in ways that are reshaping what it means to run a restaurant.

The change didn’t come with a flashy announcement. It crept in like a quiet storm, reshaping operations and guest experiences without fanfare. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen AI take bold new steps: generating real-time solutions to Labour shortages, predicting customer behaviors with uncanny accuracy, and helping chefs dream up new creations by analyzing trends we wouldn’t see without its help.

It’s not just big chains riding the wave, either. Small, independent operators are tapping into AI to solve problems they once thought insurmountable. Imagine a neighborhood bistros that uses AI to ensure they never run out of key ingredients during a rush, or a family-owned diner sending personalized offers to guests who haven’t visited in months. These aren’t far-off fantasies, they’re happening right now.

Think about what’s already shifted in this first week of the year. AI is transforming kitchens into more efficient ecosystems, not by replacing people but by supporting them. A cook’s repetitive tasks, like slicing or frying, are being automated, leaving more room for culinary. Inventory systems powered by AI are eliminating guesswork, ensuring nothing goes to waste while keeping costs under control.

For guests, the change feels seamless, almost invisible. A menu suggestion tailored to their preferences? AI. Faster table turnovers without sacrificing service quality? AI again. The smooth operation of a fully booked dining room on a Friday night? You guessed it, AI has its fingerprints on that too.

But here’s where it gets exciting: AI isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about creativity. In the past few weeks, generative AI has started sparking culinary innovation. By analyzing flavour pairings, regional trends, and even cultural shifts, it’s inspiring chefs to push boundaries. Imagine a menu born from the collaboration of a human chef’s intuition and AI’s analytical genius.

This isn’t technology replacing the culinary arts; it’s technology enhancing it. It’s the sous chef you didn’t know you needed, whispering ideas that make you stop and think, Why didn’t I see that before?

A week into 2025, one thing is clear, restaurants that hesitate to embrace AI risk being left behind. This isn’t a slow march toward the future, it’s a sprint. And it’s not just about keeping up; it’s about staying relevant in an industry that’s evolving faster than anyone imagined.

AI doesn’t ask for permission to disrupt. It simply shows up and starts working.

Here’s the truth: AI doesn’t ask for permission to disrupt. It simply shows up and starts working, quietly revolutionizing everything from labour management to menu engineering. The restaurants that thrive this year will be those that don’t just accept this new reality but lean into it with curiosity and ambition.

If this is what one week of 2025 looks like, imagine what the rest of the year holds. AI isn’t a trend; it’s a tectonic shift. It’s reshaping our workflows, challenging our assumptions, and opening doors we didn’t even know were there.

So, as we move forward, the question isn’t whether AI belongs in the restaurant industry, it’s how we’ll use it to rewrite the rules. Will it be the tool that helps us overcome labor shortages, the ally that sparks culinary breakthroughs, or the quiet genius that ensures every guest leaves delighted?

The answer, of course, is all of the above. One week into 2025, it’s clear that AI isn’t just changing the game, it’s creating a new one entirely. And for those ready to play, the possibilities are limitless.