Rising Tides Live: Restaurants And AI

Interview Takeaways

AI Enhances Hospitality, Not Replaces It – Jesse Stein emphasizes that AI isn’t here to replace human workers—it’s here to help them. Tools like Mia, Hermetic AI’s virtual assistant, streamline private event bookings by handling repetitive tasks, allowing restaurant staff to focus on high-value interactions and delivering a better guest experience.
AI Can Drastically Reduce Response Times and Increase Conversions – Speed matters in hospitality, especially when responding to guest inquiries. AI-powered agents like Mia engage with inbound leads within seconds, answering questions, booking walkthroughs, and following up on proposals. By reducing the typical response time from days to minutes, restaurants can convert more leads into booked events while improving the guest experience.
Operators Who Ignore AI Risk Falling Behind – The hospitality industry is changing fast, and early adopters of AI-driven solutions will have a major advantage. Stein encourages restaurant owners to experiment with AI now, leveraging tools like CRM insights, demand forecasting, and automation to optimize operations before competitors force a last-minute scramble to adapt.

In this episode of Rising Tides Live, the conversation explores the evolving role of artificial intelligence in the restaurant industry. Featured guest Jesse Stein, co-founder of Hermetic AI, shares his insights on how AI-driven automation is transforming private event bookings, guest engagement, and operational efficiency. Jesse joins host Shawn Walchef to discuss the biggest opportunities and challenges AI presents for hospitality businesses, from enhancing customer interactions to streamlining operations without replacing the human element. Together, they examine real-world applications of AI, the future of AI-powered agents collaborating across restaurant functions, and how operators can embrace this technology to improve service, profitability, and long-term guest relationships.

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Every Wednesday and Friday at 10am PT, Shawn Walchef hosts the Rising Tides Live room streaming with Riverside on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and more. Leading voices in hospitality, and otherwise, from near and far join to discuss all things business and much more.

The Big Quote

Homework Assignment

AI in Your Business – Identify one repetitive task in your business that AI could streamline (e.g., responding to customer inquiries, managing reservations, automating orders). Research an AI tool that addresses it.

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Episode Links

Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/
Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/
Jesse Stein LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessejstein/
Hermetic AI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hermetic-ai/

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About Cali BBQ Media

Digital Hospitality is an interview-based video podcast hosted by business owner Shawn P. Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) and produced by his Cali BBQ Media company. The weekly digital series explores the ways successful businesses and entrepreneurs have merged old and new with innovative digital strategies that harness the power of the Internet and social media. Shawn is the founder of Cali BBQ Media and creator of the Restaurant Influencers podcast on Entrepreneur Media.

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