Premutico Launches $399 Hey Buddy AI Concierge for 1,000 Australian Restaurant Operators
Updated
Updated · The Age · Jun 7
Premutico Launches $399 Hey Buddy AI Concierge for 1,000 Australian Restaurant Operators
2 articles · Updated · The Age · Jun 7
Summary
More than 1,000 hospitality operators are already using Hey Buddy, an AI phone concierge Stevan Premutico launched to answer restaurant calls in real time and escalate queries staff cannot handle.
Australian restaurants receive 77 million calls a year, with about one-third unanswered and roughly one in two missed at peak times; reservation changes alone account for about 50% of calls.
Hey Buddy draws on five AI systems and a venue knowledge base to answer questions on hours, menus and bookings, then sends confirmation texts and flags details it cannot verify.
Pricing starts at $399 a month for smaller venues and rises to $800 for chains, a pitch aimed at operators facing single-digit margins, high wages and rising tech costs.
Premutico says the tool removes repetitive work rather than hospitality's human touch, but retail consultant Trent Rigby warned one mishandled customer interaction could quickly damage trust.