DoorDash Found That 22% of Diners Use AI to Choose a Restaurant
AI gives restaurants another way to capture demand and keep front-of-house teams focused on the guests in front of them.
AI has arrived at the restaurant discovery layer, and most operators have not caught up. DoorDash's 2026 Restaurant Industry Trends Report, published May 18, 2026, found that 22% of US consumers have already used an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini to help choose a restaurant.
That figure establishes AI as a meaningful new discovery channel alongside traditional search, social media, and word of mouth. And the gap between consumer adoption and operator readiness is the most actionable finding in the report.
75% of consumers say they are comfortable using AI for reservations. Only 28% of operators are using AI to manage calls and customer service.
With an estimated 40% of reservation calls going unanswered industry-wide, that gap represents a direct revenue loss that AI is already positioned to address.
According to the report, AI gives restaurants another way to capture demand and keep front-of-house teams focused on the guests in front of them.
The AI discovery dynamic has an important structural dimension for operators. Restaurant listing sites like DoorDash account for more than 41% of the sources AI tools cite when recommending restaurants, according to Yext research cited in the report.
That means the quality and completeness of a restaurant's digital presence on listing platforms directly influences whether it gets surfaced by AI tools when consumers ask for a recommendation.
Operators are beginning to respond to this dynamic. Among those strengthening their digital footprint in response to AI search optimization pressure, 39% have updated menu information, 34% are managing reviews more actively, and 32% are improving photo quality.
According to the report, these are the same signals AI tools draw on when generating restaurant recommendations, making them a competitive lever that did not exist in traditional search optimization.
The finding that restaurant listing sites account for 41% of AI citations also has implications for where operators prioritize their digital investment.
A restaurant with an incomplete or outdated listing on a major platform is not just losing direct traffic, it is reducing its discoverability across every AI tool that draws on that platform's data.
The clearest operational opportunity in the AI findings is the reservation channel. Consumer comfort with AI-assisted reservations is high with three in four consumers saying they are comfortable using it. Operator adoption is low with only 28% are using AI to manage calls and customer service.
The 40% industry-wide rate of unanswered reservation calls quantifies what that gap costs. Every unanswered call is a guest who may not call back, a table that does not fill, and a customer relationship that does not start.
AI-managed reservation handling addresses that gap without requiring front-of-house staff to manage two things simultaneously.
Key Takeaways
- A significant 22% of diners now use AI tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini for restaurant discovery.
- Restaurants face a substantial gap as consumer AI adoption outpaces operator readiness, particularly in customer service.
- Leverage AI to manage reservations and customer inquiries, addressing the 40% industry-wide call abandonment rate.
- Employing AI can free up front-of-house staff, allowing them to concentrate on enhancing the in-person guest experience.