Which Restaurant FAQs Should an AI Phone Agent Be Ready to Answer?
By Palona AI | October 14, 2026
“Are you still taking pickup orders?”
“Do you have vegetarian options?”
“Is this the location on Main Street?”
These calls may be quick to answer, but they still pull an employee away from another guest or task. For the caller, they are often the questions that determine whether to visit or place an order.
A restaurant AI phone agent should be ready to answer the recurring questions guests need resolved before they can buy: hours, location, menu choices, ordering rules, and how to get the right help.
The best FAQ list starts with your actual calls and the information for each restaurant—not a generic script shared across every location.
1. Hours and Location Information
Prepare the restaurant’s opening hours, location details, and any relevant differences between dining, pickup, and other services.
A guest asking “Are you open?” may really need to know whether they can order food for pickup. The answer should address the service they want.
Include holiday arrangements and temporary changes when applicable. Google’s guidance on special business hours explains how businesses can reflect temporary schedule changes in their Business Profile.
Keep the agent’s supplied information aligned with your website and public listings. Updating one channel should not be assumed to update every other channel automatically.
2. Menu Options and Modifications
Guests may know what they want but need to understand their options.
Useful questions include:
- What vegetarian choices are on the menu?
- Which items are described as gluten-free?
- Can I choose different toppings on each half of a pizza?
- What sides or desserts are available?
- Which choices are required for this item?
Provide the menu details needed to explain those choices clearly. Where a request requires kitchen confirmation, give the caller a staff path rather than treating general menu information as a guarantee about preparation.
Palona Voice AI can answer menu questions, make recommendations, and support complex modifications using the restaurant’s configured offering.
3. Ordering and Pickup Rules
The agent should be able to explain how a customer places an order and what rules apply.
Prepare information about supported order types, pickup instructions, advance ordering, and applicable restaurant policies.
A customer asking to order for next week needs a different answer from someone expecting the kitchen to prepare food after closing.
Palona can accept advance orders according to the restaurant’s configured offering. After-hours answering does not mean food is prepared outside kitchen operating hours.
For pickup-time estimates or existing-order status, confirm what information the agent can actually access. Do not configure an answer that depends on live data unless the supported setup supplies it.
Our guide to how AI phone ordering works covers how the ordering conversation becomes a submitted POS order.
4. Coupons and Promotions
A guest may call because an offer helped them choose the restaurant.
Prepare the applicable terms: which items qualify, which location offers it, and when the promotion applies. Palona supports coupons across its listed POS integrations, with the restaurant’s offering configured for the order.
A useful response should explain the actual offer. If the request requires an exception, the guest may need staff assistance.
For restaurant groups, review differences between locations rather than assuming every promotion applies everywhere.
5. Reservations and Large Parties
Guests need to know whether the restaurant takes reservations and how to request one.
Prepare the reservation policy, booking path, and any rules for larger parties. Then confirm the agent’s workflow for the reservation platform the restaurant uses.
Palona assists with reservations, but direct-booking and booking-link arrangements vary by platform. An ordering integration does not automatically establish reservation capabilities.
The FAQ should explain the supported next step so the caller knows whether they can complete the task or needs another path.
6. Catering Questions
A customer organizing a team lunch may need to know whether catering is available, how far ahead to order, and where to begin.
An FAQ answer can introduce the offering. Building a larger order may require a more detailed conversation about guest count, budget, and food quantities.
Palona Catering AI, available as an add-on to Voice AI, helps customers build catering orders and organizes the details for restaurant review.
Make the distinction clear: answering “Do you cater?” and helping plan an event are different tasks.
7. How to Reach Staff
Prepare a clear path for guests who need a person.
Examples include complaints, policy exceptions, or a caller asking to speak with the manager. Palona supports configurable staff transfers.
Decide which number receives those calls and who answers. The FAQ should guide the caller toward assistance your team can actually provide.
Turn the FAQ List Into Useful Restaurant Information
For each recurring question, record the approved answer, the relevant location, and who maintains the information.
Then review representative calls. Can the guest understand the answer? Does it apply to that restaurant? Does it lead to the correct next step?
Palona’s call transcripts can help your team identify questions worth adding or clarifying. A regular review is especially useful when menus, promotions, or hours change.
An accurate FAQ setup helps customers make decisions and gives staff time back during service. It makes the phone an easier place to get help and begin an order.
Book a Palona demo to hear how Voice AI answers the questions your restaurant receives most often.