AI Customer Service for Restaurants in 2026: What to Automate on LINE, Plus 15 Message Templates for Cafés, Bakeries and Drink Shops

What ten kinds of messages does a food business get every day?

Sort the messages first, and you will see which ones can be handed off. These ten types are common in restaurant DMs. The quoted lines are illustrative examples.

• Opening hours: "How late are you open today?" "Are you open on public holidays?"
• Menu and prices: "Do you have a menu?" "How much is the set meal?"
• Reservations: "Do you have a table for four on Saturday night?"
• Group and private bookings: "Company dinner for twenty, can we book the whole place?"
• Takeaway orders and pickup time: "Two lunch boxes to go, when can I collect?"
• Allergens and dietary needs: "Does this have peanuts?" "Any vegan options?"
• Parking and directions: "Is there a car park nearby?"
• Lost items: "I think I left my umbrella at your place yesterday."
• Cakes and pre-⁠orders: "I need a six-⁠inch birthday cake next Wednesday, is that enough notice?"
• Complaints about food or service: "There was a hair in my food today." "We waited forty minutes for our dishes."

The answers to the first few are nearly the same every day. Every message in the last few is different, and for some of them one wrong sentence causes real trouble. That line is where the work divides.

Which messages can be automated, and which must go to the manager or kitchen?

FRIDAI Editorial uses one test: if the answer can be written down and is the same for every customer, automate it. If answering depends on today's prep, the kitchen or what is happening on the floor, the auto-⁠reply only takes the message and says how long the wait will be.

"Partly" means the AI can explain the rules and collect the order details, but the final "yes, the table is yours" or "ready at noon" needs a reliable basis. If the kitchen is already slammed and the auto-⁠reply is still promising pickup in ten minutes, the customer only arrives angrier.

Allergens deserve one more warning. A customer asking "does this have peanuts" is not making small talk; they are asking whether they can eat it. The AI can repeat what you wrote, such as "the sauce in this dish uses peanuts", but it must not answer "no peanuts" merely because the ingredient list does not mention them. Shared fryers, shared chopping boards and a supplier changing a recipe are things only the kitchen knows.

How should reservation and takeaway inquiries flow?

The chart below is a suggested routing for reservations, takeaway and allergy questions. The point is "classify first, collect second, confirm last", while allergy and complaint messages take a separate path from the first moment.

The "can the table or order be confirmed" box depends on where your reservation book and order tickets live. If reservations are on paper at the counter and takeaway tickets are clipped at the pass, the AI should not say whether a table is free or when food will be ready; it should collect everything and hand off to the floor. If you have an online reservation or ordering link, let the auto-⁠reply send customers there.

Set the threshold for "large" yourself, for example how many guests count as a group and how many portions count as a bulk order. Once decided, write it into the rules. Do not make the AI guess.

How do you write shop rules and knowledge for the AI?

How well an AI answers depends mostly on what you give it. A food business needs at least five documents: basic information, menu and prices, reservation rules, takeaway and pre-⁠order rules, and a list of things the AI may not promise. For a full breakdown of the method, see How to write AI customer service rules; questions owners ask before adopting AI are collected in AI customer service implementation FAQ. This section covers only what is specific to food businesses.

Menu and prices: write them as text, not just a photo

Many shops have their menu only as a photo. Customers can read it, but an AI reading an image may get a price wrong. Type out each item, price, portion, service charge and minimum spend, and keep the menu photo as an attachment. Mark seasonal, limited-⁠quantity and no-⁠restock items, and add "availability on the day depends on the shop".

Reservation rules: how long a table is held, what counts as a group

What customers ask most is not whether they can book but what the rules are once they have. Write down how far ahead you take bookings, how many minutes a table is held, whether dining time is limited, the party size above which the manager must be contacted, whether a deposit is needed and how far ahead a cancellation must be made. If you do not take reservations, write "walk-⁠in queue only" and say roughly which periods are quieter, but do not let the AI quote waiting times in minutes.

Takeaway and pre-⁠orders: state the lead time

For takeaway, write the hours you accept orders, the latest order time, payment methods and how long an uncollected order is kept. For cakes and festive pre-⁠orders, write the minimum number of days' notice, the sizes and flavours available, whether lettering is possible, how pickup works and the cancellation and rescheduling rules. If you are on a delivery platform, write "for delivery, please order through the platform". Do not let the AI take delivery orders by DM unless you really have someone to deliver.

Allergens: facts only, no guarantees

This is the most important part of a restaurant's rules. FRIDAI Editorial suggests three layers:

• Ingredients you are sure you use: list them dish by dish, for example "peanuts: shacha sauce, dan dan noodles". The AI may state these as they are.
• What you are not sure about: write "to be confirmed by the kitchen". Do not leave it blank, because a blank invites the AI to decide for itself.
• The fact of shared equipment: for example "our kitchen handles peanuts, egg, milk and seafood, and trace amounts cannot be ruled out". Confirm this sentence with your kitchen before using it.

After that, the AI has only two jobs: state the facts you listed, and hand off to a person when a customer asks for a guarantee.

What the AI must never promise

Write the prohibitions as rules. Do not expect the AI to work out the boundaries by itself. The template below stays in Chinese because it is meant to be pasted into your tool.

【餐飲店知識與規則範本】（括號內換成你的內容）

一、基本
店名：（店名）
營業時間：（時段），最後點餐：（時間），公休：（星期）
地址與交通：（地址、停車場、最近的捷運或公車站）
聯絡電話：（電話）

二、菜單與價格
（品項）｜（價格）｜（份量或備註）
服務費：（有／無，幾成），低消：（規則）
限量或季節品項：（列出），當日供應狀況以現場為準

三、訂位
可訂位範圍：（幾天內），座位保留：（幾）分鐘
用餐時間：（限制）
（幾）位以上屬團體或包場，一律由店長回覆
訂金與取消：（你的規則）

四、外帶與預訂
外帶接單時段：（時段），付款：（方式）
蛋糕或預訂商品：最少（幾）天前，取貨方式：（方式）
（幾）份以上屬大量訂單，一律由店長回覆
外送：（由外送平台下單／本店自送範圍）

五、過敏原與飲食需求
確定使用的成分：（成分）：（品項）
廚房共用設備說明：（與廚房確認後的句子）
其他一律回「需由廚房確認」並轉真人

六、一定轉真人
客人要求保證不含某成分、提到嚴重過敏、
團體包場與大量訂單、客訴與退費、
提到吃完不舒服、異物、食物中毒或要求賠償、媒體與公部門來訊

七、不可以說
不說「不含過敏原」「絕對沒有」「可以放心吃」
不說有療效、養生功效或對身體的好處
不自行確認訂位、接單或取餐時間
不自行給折扣、招待或同意退費
不評論其他店家，不推測客人不舒服的原因

The seven sections are: basics; menu and prices; reservations; takeaway and pre-⁠orders; allergens and dietary needs; what always goes to a person (requests to guarantee an ingredient is absent, severe allergies, group bookings and bulk orders, complaints and refunds, any mention of feeling unwell, foreign objects, food poisoning or compensation, and messages from media or authorities); and what the AI may not say (no "allergen-⁠free", "definitely none" or "safe to eat"; no health or treatment benefits; no confirming tables, orders or pickup times on its own; no discounts, freebies or refunds on its own; no comments on other shops and no guessing why a customer feels unwell).

Why "no guessing why a customer feels unwell"? Because when a customer says their stomach hurt after the meal, both "that is probably not from us" and "maybe the seafood was off" will end up as a screenshot.

15 copy-⁠ready reply templates for food businesses

Replace the brackets with your own details. Every template contains three things: an answer, a next step and a way to reach a person. You can paste them into LINE auto-⁠response messages or use them as example replies for an AI. The templates stay in Chinese because your customers will read them; each has a one-⁠line English gloss. For LINE keyword setup, see LINE auto-⁠reply setup and examples; for an all-⁠industry set, see Customer service reply templates.

First message

Gloss: greets the customer, asks for date, time, party size and phone for a booking, offers the "menu" and "takeaway" keywords, and says when the manager will answer.

你好，這裡是（店名）。
想訂位請告訴我：日期、時段、人數、聯絡電話。
想看菜單輸入「菜單」，想外帶輸入「外帶」。
用餐尖峰時段回覆會比較慢，需要店長回答的問題會在（時間）前回你。

Opening hours and closed days

Gloss: lists hours, last order and closed days, and says where holiday or ad-⁠hoc closures are announced.

（店名）營業時間
（星期）（時段），最後點餐（時間）
公休：（星期）
國定假日或臨時店休會公告在（位置）。
想訂位可以直接告訴我日期、時段與人數。

Menu and prices

Gloss: sends the menu link, service charge and minimum spend, and asks customers with dietary limits to say which so the kitchen can check.

這是我們目前的菜單：（連結）
（有／無）服務費，低消（規則）。
季節與限量品項以當日現場供應為準。
有飲食限制或過敏，請直接告訴我是哪一種，我請廚房確認後回你。

Collecting reservation details

Gloss: asks for date and time, number of adults and children, name and phone, and special needs; says availability will be confirmed afterwards.

好的，幫你登記訂位需求。請再補充：
日期與時段：
人數（大人／小孩）：
訂位大名與電話：
有沒有需要兒童椅或特殊需求：
收齊後我們會回覆是否有位子。

Reservation confirmed

Send this only after staff have confirmed a table exists. Do not let an auto-⁠reply send it the moment a customer says "I want to book".

Gloss: confirms time, party size and name, how long the table is held, and the deadline for changes.

已為你保留座位。
時間：（日期）（時段）
人數：（人數）
訂位大名：（姓名）
座位保留（幾）分鐘，用餐時間（限制）。
需要改期或取消，請在（時間）前告訴我們。

Group and private bookings

Gloss: says the manager plans group bookings personally, collects date, headcount, budget and contact, and states that the quote comes from the manager.

謝謝你的詢問！團體與包場由店長親自規劃。
請先告訴我：
日期與時段：
預計人數：
每人預算或想要的餐點形式：
聯絡人與電話：
店長會在（時間）前跟你聯絡，報價與細節以店長回覆為準。

Collecting a takeaway order

Gloss: records items, quantity, preferred pickup time, name and phone, and states clearly this is not yet an order confirmation.

好的，幫你記下外帶內容。請確認：
品項與數量：
希望取餐時間：
取餐大名與電話：
這還不是接單確認，現場確認可以製作後會再回你實際取餐時間。

Pickup time confirmed

Likewise, send this only after the floor has accepted the order.

Gloss: confirms the order, amount, payment method, pickup time and place, and asks the customer to be on time.

已接單！
內容：（品項與數量）
金額：（金額），付款方式：（方式）
取餐時間：（時間）
取餐地點：（位置）
超過（幾）分鐘未取，餐點品質會受影響，請盡量準時。

Cakes and pre-⁠orders

Gloss: states the lead time, sizes and flavours, collects pickup date, size, flavour and lettering, and says the baker or manager will confirm and quote.

謝謝你想預訂（商品）。
預訂需在取貨日（幾）天前完成，可選尺寸與口味：（內容）。
請告訴我：
取貨日期與時間：
尺寸與口味：
需要寫的字或特殊需求：
收齊後由（店長／師傅）確認是否能接單並回覆金額。

Allergens and dietary needs

Gloss: states the known ingredient fact and the shared-⁠kitchen fact, says the kitchen has been asked and will reply by a set time, and suggests waiting for that reply if the allergy is serious. It gives no guarantee.

謝謝你先告訴我們。
目前確定的是：（品項）有使用（成分）。
我們的廚房有使用（共用成分），無法排除微量混入。
你提到的（過敏原或需求），我已經請廚房確認，會在（時間）前回你。
如果過敏情況比較嚴重，請等廚房回覆後再決定是否點餐。

Parking and directions

Gloss: gives the address, nearest car park, public transport and whether stopping at the door is allowed.

（店名）地址：（地址）
停車：（最近的停車場與步行時間）
大眾運輸：（捷運或公車站與出口）
店門口（可／不可）臨停，找不到路可以打（電話）。

Lost items

Gloss: collects the item description, visit date and time and seat, and says staff will look and reply by a set time.

收到，我們幫你找找看。請告訴我：
物品與特徵：
來店日期與大概時間：
座位位置（如果記得）：
現場人員找過之後，會在（時間）前回覆你有沒有找到。

Complaint about food or service

Gloss: apologises, asks for the date, time, dishes and photos, and says the manager will reply personally by a set time.

很抱歉這次用餐讓你有不好的感受。
方便的話請告訴我用餐日期、時段與餐點，有照片也請一起傳。
這則訊息我已經轉給店長本人，（時間）前會親自回覆你處理方式。

Customer says they felt unwell after eating

Gloss: expresses concern, advises seeing a doctor if symptoms continue or worsen, collects visit details and phone, and says the manager has been notified. It does not judge the cause or discuss compensation.

謝謝你告訴我們，很抱歉你身體不舒服。
如果症狀持續或加重，請先就醫，由醫師判斷。
請留下用餐日期、時段、餐點與聯絡電話，
我已經通知店長，會在（時間）內親自跟你聯絡。

Outside opening hours

Gloss: says the shop is closed, gives hours, and asks the customer to leave booking details for a reply after opening.

謝謝你的訊息，現在是非營業時間。
營業時間：（時段），公休：（星期）
訂位請先留下日期、時段、人數與電話，開店後會依序回覆。
想看菜單輸入「菜單」。

Once these are written, FRIDAI Editorial suggests sending all 15 yourself as a customer would, ideally at your busiest time on a Friday night. If the replies are right then, they are usable.

LINE or Instagram and Facebook as the main channel?

A common pattern for food businesses is Instagram and Facebook for food photos and promotions, and LINE for reservations and regulars. When DMs arrive on both sides, decide which one is "where a booking or order becomes final" and let the other only send people there.

Facts FRIDAI Editorial confirmed on official pages today:

• The LINE manual states that auto-⁠response messages are sent when a user types a specific keyword, matching ignores letter case and full-⁠width versus half-⁠width characters, up to 51 keywords can be registered, emoji cannot be keywords, and a sending period can be set by date or time.
• LINE's FAQ lists the Light usage plan (輕用量方案) as free per month with 200 free messages, and notes that plan pricing changes from 1 November 2026. See LINE's official announcement for details.
• Meta's developer policy page states that a business has up to 24 hours to respond after a user messages, and that a Human Agent tag lets a person reply manually within 7 days. These are the rules when connecting a tool through the API; which permissions you actually have depends on Meta and the tool you use.

FRIDAI Editorial's suggestions:

• Mostly regulars and nearby office workers: make LINE the main channel and put three rich menu buttons on it: "Reserve", "Menu", "Takeaway".
• Customers mostly find you on Instagram or Facebook: let DMs answer menu and promotion questions, and when the talk turns to a booking or pre-⁠order, send the customer to wherever you actually manage reservations.
• Heavy volume on both: write the menu and the rules once and use the same wording on both sides. The worst case is Instagram saying pets are welcome while LINE says they are not.

The option to set a sending period by date or time is practical for food businesses: the closed-⁠hours auto-⁠response can appear only after closing and will not fire by mistake during service.

Allergens and food safety: what you say is regulated

Please read this part carefully. FRIDAI Editorial is not a lawyer. What follows quotes only statute text from the Laws and Regulations Database of Taiwan and an announcement page of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Whether something is a violation is decided by the health authority; if in doubt, ask your local health bureau directly.

Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation: no false claims, no treatment claims

According to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法) in the Laws and Regulations Database:

• Article 28 provides that the labelling, promotion or advertising of food must not be false, exaggerated or misleading, and that food may not be labelled, promoted or advertised as having medical efficacy.
• Article 45 sets a fine of NT$40,000 to NT$4,000,000 for violating Article 28 paragraph 1, and NT$600,000 to NT$5,000,000 for violating the medical-⁠efficacy rule in paragraph 2.
• Article 25 provides that the central competent authority may require places that serve food directly to label, in Chinese, the place of origin and other required items for specified foods, with the items and scope announced by that authority.

What this means for a restaurant: a reply in a DM is still something you said to a customer. Lines like "drinking this lowers blood pressure" or "this is good for the liver" should not appear in an AI's replies.

Allergen labelling: the announcement lists 11 items

The Ministry of Health and Welfare's announcement page states that the Regulations Governing Food Allergen Labelling (食品過敏原標示規定) were announced on 21 August 2018 and took effect on 1 July 2020, with 11 mandatory items: crustaceans, mango, peanuts, cow's and goat's milk, eggs, tree nuts, sesame, gluten-⁠containing cereals, soybeans, fish, and their products, plus products using sulphites and similar where sulphur dioxide residue in the final product is 10 mg per kilogram or more. The page also says that incomplete or false labelling leads to an order to recall and correct within a deadline, and a fine.

Note that the announcement page FRIDAI Editorial read talks about learning of allergens from the outer packaging and does not mention dishes served on the premises. So we will not conclude for you whether dine-⁠in dishes must be labelled. For packaged goods you sell, such as jarred sauces or boxed biscuits, check the full announcement; for food served on site, confirm the rules with your local health bureau.

Whatever the law requires, the 11 items are a good starting point: go through every dish on the menu against them once, and you have a first draft of your allergen knowledge.

What this means for an AI assistant

• Write "never say allergen-⁠free, never say definitely none" into the rules. The AI may only state the known ingredients you listed.
• When a customer asks for a guarantee or mentions a severe allergy, always hand off to a person, who checks with the kitchen before answering.
• When a customer mentions feeling unwell, a foreign object or food poisoning, the AI does three things only: express concern, suggest seeing a doctor, and collect contact details while notifying the manager. No judging the cause, no talk of compensation.
• Do not let the AI state any treatment or wellness benefit.

Five common pitfalls when a food business adopts auto-⁠replies

• Letting the AI confirm reservations while the reservation book is at the counter. The result is one table given to two parties.
• Giving the AI only a menu photo. It sends customers an old or misread price, and the argument happens at the shop.
• Not updating an ad-⁠hoc closure. The auto-⁠reply keeps saying "open until nine today".
• Leaving the allergen field blank. The AI treats "not written" as "not present".
• Answering complaints with a canned message too. An unhappy customer who receives a second stock reply usually goes off to write a review.

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