The History of Restaurant CX: From Maître d' to AI

The History of Restaurant CX: From Maître d' to AI

From Deep Learning with PolyAI by Team PolyAI

March 12, 2026 · 45 min · Episode 97

About this episode

The episode explores the evolution of customer experience in restaurants, highlighting the impact of technology from phone reservations to AI voice agents.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, Nikola Mrkšić sits down with Steven Fine, GM of Restaurants at PolyAI, to explore how technology has shaped the customer experience in restaurants over the past century. From the first phone reservations to online booking platforms and now AI-powered voice agents, the conversation traces how hospitality has continuously adapted to meet changing customer expectations. Nikola and Steven discuss why the phone is still one of the mo...

People in this episode

Host: Nikola Mrkšić

Guest: Steven Fine

Topics covered

  • customer experience
  • restaurant technology
  • AI in hospitality
  • history of dining
  • phone reservations
  • online booking

Keywords

  • restaurant customer experience
  • AI voice agents
  • hospitality technology
  • phone reservations
  • online booking platforms

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PolyAI

More episodes of Deep Learning with PolyAI

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Deep Learning with PolyAI podcast page.