From Pilot to Profit: Shawn AI’s Second Record Father’s Day at Cali BBQ

Hey Reader,

Last year, Cali BBQ's new AI phone agent proved it could survive the busiest day of the year without dropping a single call.

This year, it proved something bigger. A smarter, fully integrated version helped drive an 18% increase in sales, a 2,309% surge in call-ahead orders, and $1,905 in revenue from orders the restaurant would not have accepted otherwise.

This week's post is about what changed between year one and year two, and why the second year is the one that actually proves an AI agent is working.

🔔 THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Cali BBQ's Father's Day check size jumps 26%, Olive Garden brings back a fan-favorite pass after six years, and NYC Restaurant Week opens reservations for over 600 restaurants.

🍽️ THE MAIN COURSE

On Father's Day 2025, Cali BBQ introduced a new kind of teammate: Shawn AI, a voice agent modeled after founder Shawn Walchef.

While the team focused on smoking meat and serving guests, Shawn AI answered more than 150 calls and made sure no customer met a busy signal.

Last year proved Shawn AI could handle the rush.

This year proved it could grow the business.

Compared with last Father's Day, Cali BBQ recorded 18% higher overall sales and a 26% higher average check size.

Shawn AI also captured 22 phone orders worth $1,905.

What makes that number remarkable is that Cali BBQ does not normally take phone orders on Father's Day, the restaurant is simply too busy to answer the phones.

Without Shawn AI, that revenue would have been lost.

Since last year, technology has advanced too. Shawn AI is now natively integrated with Toast, so completed orders flow straight into the system the kitchen already uses.

There's also an upward trend in consumer trust in the technology. Guests who were encountering an AI agent for the first time last year, have grown more comfortable, placing larger, more detailed orders.

Overall, Shawn AI is making a clear and meaningful contribution to Cali BBQ's revenue.

A successful first year can be dismissed as luck, but improvement in the second year is much harder to ignore.

To read the full story of Cali BBQ's success with Palona, check out our blog.

Read the Full Story

💡 TRY THIS TOMORROW

Think about your own restaurant's busiest moment, the single day or hour where volume outpaces what your team can handle.What actually happens when that moment hits?

Reply to this email and tell me what you found. I read every one.

🔥 WHAT’S COOKING (Industry News)

→ Olive Garden Is Bringing Back the Never-Ending Pasta Pass — After a six-year hiatus, Olive Garden is selling 10,000 passes for $100, good for 13 weeks of unlimited pasta starting this August. Passes have sold out in minutes every year they've been offered. If you want one, mark your calendar for Thursday at 2pm ET. Nation's Restaurant News

→ NYC Restaurant Week Reservations Are Open — Starting today, diners can book prix-fixe meals at more than 600 restaurants across all five boroughs, running July 20 through August 16. A simple, proven way to drive reservations during a season when diners need a reason to choose you. Time Out New York

Want to Learn More?

If you want to talk through what real-world AI could look like in your restaurant, book a call with our team. I'd love to show you what we're building.

Chat With Us

We’re always looking to improve. If you have feedback on this newsletter or a topic you want us to cover, just reply to this email. We read every single one!

Warmly,

Maria Zhang

CEO & Founder, Palona AI

Real World AI

maria@palona.ai