AI Agents Drive Sales Surge for CaliBBQ on Father’s day

California barbecue chain CaliBBQ leveraged an AI agent to manage customer calls this Father’s Day, resulting in an remarkable 18% increase in sales. The AI, named shawn, is modeled after the restaurant’s owner, Shawn Walchef, and was developed by Palolo using its Restaurant AI technology.

AI-Powered Customer Service Boosts Revenue

On what is typically CaliBBQ’s busiest day, Father’s Day sales usually average around $20,000. This year, with Shawn AI handling approximately 150 customer calls, sales jumped to roughly $26,000 across 268 orders. Walk-in takeout orders, placed in advance, saw a remarkable 92% year-over-year increase, all processed through the AI agent.

Did You know? the global artificial intelligence (AI) market is projected to reach $1.84 trillion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 38.1% from 2023 [Grand View Research].

According to Walchef, the implementation of AI agents is about “scaling hospitality,” not replacing humans. Palona’s Restaurant AI is currently used in over 20 restaurants, including Pizza My Heart and Kobunga Grill, managing inbound customer calls with human fallback support.

The Rise of AI Agents in Business Operations

the increasing adoption of AI is evident in corporate budgets.A PwC survey conducted in 2025 with 308 U.S. business executives revealed that 88% plan to increase AI-related spending in the coming year. Between 79% and 85% of enterprises have either adopted or intend to adopt AI agents for various business functions.

Though, experts advise against completely replacing human customer service representatives.Gartner predicts that by 2027, half of the organizations planning notable customer service workforce reductions will reverse course, recognizing the challenges of fully “agent-less” models.A Gartner poll of 163 customer service leaders in march found that 95% intend to retain human agents to strategically guide AI’s role,favoring a “digital first,but not digital only” strategy.

Key Metrics: CaliBBQ’s Father’s Day Success with AI Agents

Shawn AI: 24/7 Availability and consistent Service

Shawn AI is trained using walchef’s voice and personality, drawing from his “Restaurant Influencers” podcasts and CaliBBQ’s menu. previously, on busy days like Father’s Day, callers were directed to an auto attendant, which provided website facts or prompted text orders.

Pro Tip: When implementing AI agents, start with a pilot program to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments before a full rollout.

According to Walchef, Palona’s technology allows them to “go live, and Shawn AI can start taking all those orders instead of giving this fragmented user experience.” The implementation also led to a nearly 50% reduction in table turn times, allowing staff to focus on in-person diners. CaliBBQ also saw a 25% decrease in texts and calls to its support line and issued 10% fewer customer discounts, typically used to appease dissatisfied customers.

Walchef noted that customers were impressed with the AI agent,stating,”People can now go,’Wow,I can’t believe I ordered from an AI agent,and it was actually a better experience than talking to a human because they didn’t mess up my order.'”

Fine-Tuning AI for Optimal Performance

CaliBBQ tested Shawn AI for four weeks before Father’s Day.Initial feedback led to adjustments in the AI agent’s tone and pacing, which Palona CEO Maria Zhang found too conversational. The company implemented stricter guidelines to ensure the agent remained concise and focused.

While Shawn AI currently does not process credit card payments over the phone, Palona plans to integrate secure payment options in the future.

Palona’s CTO, Tim Howes, emphasized the benefits of AI agents, stating, “People get busy and phones just go unanswered at restaurants, which is lost business for restaurants. AI agents are available 24/7, trained on everything about your business, menus, and specials, and give the same level of service every day, all day with no breaks or bad days.”