[Customer Spotlight] How Logan’s Roadhouse Uses Practical AI to Keep Managers on the Restaurant Floor

In the restaurant industry, the ultimate measure of any new technology is simple: does it help operators take better care of their guests? For Michael Matos, Senior Director of Ops Services at Logan’s Roadhouse, this question guides every technology investment. Logan’s Roadhouse, which operates more than 130 casual dining locations across 22 states, is leveraging AI not to automate hospitality, but to protect it.

During a recent session of Crunchtime’s Ops Innovators Webinar Series, Michael shared how Logan's Roadhouse uses practical AI tools to eliminate administrative friction, simplify change management, and give managers valuable time back to focus on team coaching and guest execution.

The True Cost of Administrative Friction

For restaurant leaders, time is one of their most valuable resources — and every minute spent away from daily operations can impact the team and guest experience. The challenge is finding ways to reduce the burden of routine administrative responsibilities without pulling managers away from the people and processes that need their attention most.

"Every hour spent on administrative work is an hour that can't be spent coaching teams, ensuring food quality, or serving guests," Michael emphasized. "When our managers are stuck in the office writing a schedule or working on a forecast, they’re not on the floor with their teams, where they can manage food safety and the guest experience."

To solve this problem, Logan’s Roadhouse intentionally uses AI as an administrative filter. By automating repetitive backend tasks, the brand ensures its leadership teams remain "eyes-up" and actively engaged in the dining room.

Reclaiming Back Office Hours

Logan’s Roadhouse has achieved immediate, measurable outcomes by focusing its AI efforts on historical time-sinks like inventory management and sales forecasting.

Streamlining Inventory with Voice Automation

Inventory management is traditionally one of the most tedious manual processes in casual dining. Since implementing Crunchtime Inventory, Logan’s Roadhouse has cut inventory counting times by 45 minutes to an hour per location.

To build on these gains, Logan’s Roadhouse is currently piloting Crunchtime’s Voice-Based Inventory feature. The hands-free capability allows managers to call out counts naturally, accelerating the process even further.

"As we pilot Crunchtime’s Voice-Based Inventory feature, we're excited about the potential to deliver another significant time savings for our teams," Michael noted. “We have noticed that our bar managers are spending less time counting inventory and not having to stay in the restaurant as late."

Accelerating Forecast Accuracy

Traditional forecasting relies heavily on historical sales data and manual calculations. By utilizing AI-powered forecasting within Crunchtime’s Operations Management Suite, Logan’s Roadhouse can generate highly accurate predictions in a fraction of the time.

"Creating a forecast used to take a long time, but now with AI, which can take weather and events into consideration, we can get accurate forecasts quickly with Crunchtime," Michael said.

Overcoming Tech Skepticism with Visible Wins

Introducing new technology into a busy restaurant environment can often trigger operational resistance. Michael believes that successful change management requires a patient, benefit-first approach rather than a rigid top-down mandate.

"Change can be scary for our restaurant teams, especially when it comes to technology," Michael explained. "It is important to take the changes slowly and to highlight the direct benefits that the technology will provide."

To build trust and accelerate adoption across Logan's Roadhouse, Michael relies on a clear three-step playbook:

"When we first implemented Crunchtime Inventory at Logan’s Roadhouse, some managers were skeptical about how it would save them time compared to using pen and paper," Michael recalled. "Today, they can't imagine operating without it. Crunchtime Inventory has become second nature to our managers, and they wouldn’t know where to start if they went back to the old way."

Enabling the Human Element of Hospitality

Ultimately, the goal of deploying AI at Logan's Roadhouse is to amplify human capability, not replace it. By handing administrative burdens over to intelligent software, the brand frees up its leaders to do what they do best: lead.

"At Logan’s Roadhouse, we can leverage AI tools, like Crunchtime Inventory, to free up time to spend with our team members and guests in ways that we weren’t able to before," Michael said.

Ready to see how practical AI built for restaurants can transform your operations?

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