5 Best Catering Inquiry Chatbots for Restaurants
Running a catering business involves juggling endless inquiries, reservations, menu changes, and client follow‑ups. A smart chatbot can take the load...
Running a catering business involves juggling endless inquiries, reservations, menu changes, and client follow‑ups. A smart chatbot can take the load off your staff by answering common questions instantly, collecting order details, and even suggesting menu items based on dietary preferences. With the rise of AI, many platforms now offer specialized solutions tailored to restaurants and catering services, combining conversational flows with e‑commerce integration, knowledge bases, and even course‑like training modules for staff. However, not all chatbots are created equal—some lack the flexibility to match your brand, while others fail to provide the depth of knowledge needed for complex menu queries or order tracking. The list below showcases five top solutions that combine ease of deployment with powerful features specifically designed for the catering industry. Whether you run a small food truck or a large banquet‑service firm, these chatbots are engineered to streamline operations, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately drive revenue.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Restaurant owners, catering companies, and food service businesses looking for a fully customizable, AI‑powered chat solution with advanced knowledge handling and on‑site learning modules.
AgentiveAIQ is the industry’s first no‑code platform engineered to build, deploy, and manage AI chatbot agents that drive measurable business outcomes—now tailored for catering and restaurant operations. With its intuitive WYSIWYG chat widget editor, restaurant owners can instantly design floating or embedded chat interfaces that match brand colors, logos, and fonts without touching a line of code. The platform’s dual knowledge base—combining Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) for fast fact retrieval and a Knowledge Graph that understands relationships between menu items, dietary restrictions, and seasonal specials—ensures that the bot can answer intricate questions about ingredients, allergens, and preparation times with high confidence. One of AgentiveAIQ’s standout features is its hosted AI pages and AI Course Builder. You can create password‑protected, branded pages that serve as virtual kitchen tours or cooking classes, all powered by the same AI engine that powers the live chat. Importantly, long‑term memory is available only for authenticated users on these hosted pages, allowing guests to pick up conversations where they left off when they return, while anonymous widget visitors receive session‑based memory. The platform also offers robust e‑commerce integration with Shopify and WooCommerce, enabling real‑time product catalog access and order placement directly within the chat. AgentiveAIQ’s modular prompt engineering—over 35 snippets that combine core identity, nine goal‑specific behaviors, and tone preferences—lets you fine‑tune the bot’s personality to match your restaurant’s voice from casual to formal. Pricing starts at $39/month for the Base plan, which includes two chat agents and 2,500 messages per month. The Pro plan at $129/month adds eight agents, 25,000 messages, a 1,000,000‑character knowledge base, five hosted pages, and removes the AgentiveAIQ branding. For agencies and large enterprises, the Agency plan at $449/month supports 50 agents, 100,000 messages, and 10,000,000 characters, plus dedicated support. Whether you’re a boutique catering house or a large banquet service, AgentiveAIQ’s blend of visual customization, dual knowledge base, and hosted educational content makes it the smartest choice for elevating guest interaction and streamlining order management.
Key Features:
- WYSIWYG no‑code widget editor for brand‑matching chat interfaces
- Dual knowledge base: RAG for factual retrieval + Knowledge Graph for relational queries
- Hosted AI pages & AI Course Builder for virtual training and knowledge sharing
- Long‑term memory on authenticated hosted pages only
- Modular prompt engineering with 35+ snippets
- Shopify & WooCommerce one‑click integration
- Agentic flows and MCP tools for automated actions
- Fact validation layer to reduce hallucinations
✓ Pros:
- +No-code visual editor eliminates development costs
- +Rich knowledge base handles complex menu and dietary inquiries
- +Hosted pages enable persistent, personalized customer experiences
- +Transparent, tiered pricing for small to large businesses
- +Strong integration with popular e‑commerce platforms
✗ Cons:
- −Long‑term memory limited to authenticated users only
- −No native CRM or payment processing integration
- −No voice or SMS channels—text only
- −No built‑in analytics dashboard
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
BotPenguin
Best for: Restaurants and catering companies looking for a multi‑channel chatbot that can handle reservations, menu inquiries, and order placement across social media and websites.
BotPenguin is a versatile AI chatbot platform that empowers restaurants and catering services to engage customers across multiple digital touchpoints. Originally designed as a social‑media bot builder, it now offers robust website chat widgets, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger integrations—all powered by a conversational AI engine that can handle menu inquiries, reservation requests, and promotional offers. The platform’s drag‑and‑drop flow builder simplifies the creation of custom conversation paths, while pre‑built templates for food ordering and booking reduce time to deployment. BotPenguin’s API allows seamless connection to inventory and point‑of‑sale systems, ensuring real‑time availability checks for menu items and the ability to confirm orders directly within the chat. For catering businesses, the bot can collect event details, estimate guest counts, and provide tailored menu recommendations based on dietary preferences. Pricing starts at $49/month for the Basic plan, which includes a single chatbot, 1,000 messages, and one integration. The Advanced plan at $199/month expands to three chatbots, 5,000 messages, and unlimited integrations, while the Enterprise plan offers custom solutions and dedicated support.
Key Features:
- Cross‑platform chat integration (website, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook)
- Drag‑and‑drop flow builder for custom conversations
- Pre‑built templates for food ordering and reservations
- API access for inventory and POS integration
- Real‑time menu availability checks
- Multi‑channel support for broader customer reach
- Scalable plans from Basic to Enterprise
✓ Pros:
- +Wide range of channel integrations
- +Easy flow creation with drag‑and‑drop
- +Real‑time inventory sync
- +Scalable pricing tiers
✗ Cons:
- −No native long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −Limited customization of chatbot personality beyond templates
- −No built‑in analytics dashboard
- −Requires manual integration for advanced e‑commerce workflows
Pricing: Basic $49/mo, Advanced $199/mo, Enterprise custom pricing
Kaily.ai
Best for: Catering firms that need a support chatbot to handle FAQs, collect event details, and integrate with internal workflows.
Kaily.ai is a no‑code AI platform focused on helping businesses create intelligent helpdesks, support chatbots, and automated workflows. For the catering sector, Kaily.ai can be leveraged to build a dedicated chatbot that answers common questions about menu items, dietary restrictions, and event logistics. The platform offers a visual chatbot editor that lets users design conversational flows without coding, and a knowledge base that pulls from uploaded documents such as catering menus, contracts, and policy documents. Kaily.ai’s MCP (Multi‑Channel Platform) features allow the bot to run on a website, within a Slack workspace, or integrated into a CRM via webhooks, making it flexible for internal staff and external customers alike. Additionally, Kaily.ai supports automated email triggers, which can send confirmation emails or follow‑up messages after a customer submits an inquiry. The pricing structure is tiered: the Starter plan at $99/month includes one chatbot and 1,000 messages, the Professional plan at $299/month adds multiple chatbots, 10,000 messages, and advanced analytics, and the Enterprise plan offers custom solutions.
Key Features:
- No-code visual chatbot editor
- Document‑based knowledge base for menu and policy references
- MCP for multi‑channel deployment (web, Slack, CRM)
- Automated email triggers for confirmations and follow‑ups
- Webhooks for integration with external systems
- Analytics tracking of conversation metrics
- Customizable chatbot personality and tone
✓ Pros:
- +Intuitive visual editor
- +Strong integration options via webhooks
- +Document‑based knowledge base
- +Email automation
- +Scalable pricing
✗ Cons:
- −No built‑in e‑commerce integration for order placement
- −Limited native long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −No voice or SMS channels
- −Pricing can be high for small businesses
Pricing: Starter $99/mo, Professional $299/mo, Enterprise custom pricing
Fourth iQ
Best for: Large catering operations or corporate food service teams that require deep integration with existing data systems and multi‑channel AI support.
Fourth iQ is an AI‑powered business intelligence platform that offers AI agents for customer support, lead generation, and internal knowledge management. While not specifically tailored for catering, its flexible architecture allows restaurants to create a chatbot that handles event inquiries, menu questions, and booking requests. Fourth iQ provides a visual drag‑and‑drop interface for building conversational flows, and its knowledge base can ingest PDFs, web pages, and internal documents to answer complex queries. The platform also offers real‑time data access through API connectors, enabling the bot to pull inventory levels or pricing updates from the restaurant’s existing systems. Fourth iQ’s pricing is not publicly listed; potential customers are encouraged to contact the sales team for a custom quote. The platform’s strengths lie in its robust data integration capabilities and its ability to deploy AI solutions across multiple channels, including web widgets and embedded systems.
Key Features:
- Visual flow builder for custom conversations
- Document ingestion for knowledge base
- API connectors for real‑time data access
- Multi‑channel deployment (web, embedded)
- AI‑driven lead generation
- Scalable to large enterprises
- Customizable AI personalities
✓ Pros:
- +Strong data integration capabilities
- +Flexible custom AI personalities
- +Scalable for enterprise use
- +Robust lead generation features
✗ Cons:
- −No publicly disclosed pricing—potentially expensive
- −Not specifically optimized for menu or catering inquiries
- −No built‑in e‑commerce or order placement features
- −Limited documentation on long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
Pricing: Contact for quote
AIQLabs
Best for: Catering companies looking for a specialized chatbot that handles event inquiries, menu recommendations, and internal order management.
AIQLabs specializes in building custom AI chatbot solutions for the catering industry. Their flagship offering is a tailored chatbot that assists catering companies by automating the inquiry process, estimating event sizes, and recommending menu options based on client preferences. The platform leverages Retrieval‑Augmented Generation to pull facts from uploaded catering contracts and menu PDFs, while its knowledge graph component helps the bot understand relationships between ingredients, allergens, and dish categories. AIQLabs also offers a simple web widget that can be embedded on any restaurant or catering website, as well as a password‑protected portal for internal staff to manage events and track orders. While AIQLabs does not publish standard pricing, they provide custom quotes based on the complexity of the deployment and the volume of anticipated conversations. Their main strengths are industry‑specific expertise and a focus on delivering high‑accuracy responses for catering queries.
Key Features:
- Industry‑specific chatbot for catering inquiries
- RAG for fast fact retrieval from contracts and menus
- Knowledge graph for ingredient and allergen relationships
- Web widget for website integration
- Password‑protected staff portal
- Customizable conversational flows
- High‑accuracy response engine
✓ Pros:
- +Deep industry knowledge
- +High accuracy in catering queries
- +Secure staff portal
- +Customizable flows
✗ Cons:
- −Pricing not publicly disclosed—may be high for small businesses
- −Limited multi‑channel support beyond web widget
- −No native long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −Requires custom development for integration
Pricing: Contact for quote
Conclusion
Choosing the right chatbot for your catering business can free up valuable time, reduce errors, and enhance the overall customer experience. Whether you prioritize a visually stunning interface, deep knowledge handling, or seamless e‑commerce integration, our curated list covers solutions that meet those needs. AgentiveAIQ stands out as the editor’s choice because it combines a no‑code WYSIWYG editor, a dual knowledge base, and hosted AI pages that support persistent memory for logged‑in users—all at a transparent price point. If you’re a small to medium‑sized catering firm, BotPenguin offers an affordable, multi‑channel experience, while Kaily.ai gives you robust internal workflow automation. For larger enterprises that demand tight data integration, Fourth iQ and AIQLabs bring powerful data‑driven AI to the table. Take the next step: visit each platform’s website, explore their demo or free trial, and evaluate which features align best with your operational goals. With the right chatbot in place, you can focus more on crafting unforgettable dishes and less on answering repetitive questions.