Your phone, answered while you're in the middle of service.
Stafff is an AI phone receptionist for UK independents. Keep your number, divert calls when you're busy, and Stafff takes, changes and cancels bookings against your real capacity, answers only from information you've approved, and passes allergy questions straight to your team.
0%
of diners booked by phone in Q3 2023 (Tableo data from 400 restaurants, published by UKHospitality)
Source: UKHospitality, Q3 2023 reservation trendsDiners still pick up the phone to book.
Friday at 8pm the phone rings while you're plating, running the pass or seating a six-top. Nobody can get to it, and if the call rings out, the caller may simply try the next place on the list. Stafff picks up those calls so the booking still lands in your diary.
Four flows you'll ship today.
A booking call in the middle of service
Friday, 7:45pm. Every table is full and the phone rings: a caller wants a table for four next Saturday.
- 01Your line is busy or unanswered, so the call diverts to Stafff, which greets the caller as the restaurant's virtual assistant.
- 02Stafff checks your covers per slot, sitting length, opening hours and closed dates, and only offers times that are genuinely free.
- 03It reads the booking back and waits for the caller's clear 'yes' before confirming. Double-booking is blocked at database level.
- 04The booking appears on 'Tonight' in the Stafff portal, or in your Google Sheet if connected.
Change or cancel a booking
A regular rings to move their Sunday lunch from 1pm to 2pm, and add one more person.
- 01Stafff finds bookings made under the caller's own phone number, and only those.
- 02It checks the new time and party size against your capacity before offering it.
- 03It reads the change back and only updates the booking after an explicit 'yes'.
- 04The same booking is updated in the portal and in your Google Sheet, so there's no duplicate row.
An allergy question goes to your team
A caller asks whether the lamb curry is safe for someone with a severe nut allergy.
- 01Stafff never answers allergy or dietary-safety questions itself. It tells the caller someone from the team will get back to them.
- 02It takes the caller's name, number and question.
- 03The call is marked 'Needs reply' in the portal and your team gets an email alert.
- 04Someone who knows the kitchen replies, keeping your allergen information accurate as FSA guidance expects.
A booking after you've closed (Full Service)
It's 11:20pm, the kitchen's clean and the lights are off. Someone rings to book for Thursday.
- 01On the Full Service plan, Stafff answers every call, including after hours.
- 02It offers only the Thursday times you genuinely have free.
- 03Parties bigger than your auto-booking limit are passed to staff instead of being booked.
- 04The booking is waiting on 'Tonight' when you open, with a transcript of the call.
Confirmation text to the guest
Once a booking is confirmed on the phone, the guest gets it in writing.
- 01Stafff sends the guest a confirmation text (launching with the pilot).
- 02The guest has the details on their mobile, and your team has the same booking in the portal.
- 03If they need to change it, they can ring back and Stafff will find it under their number.
Plugs into the stack restaurants already use.
No more 'sorry, our system is down'. Stafff calls your tools so the answer is always real.
- Your existing number (call divert)
Keep your number. Divert calls when busy or unanswered, or every call. No porting.
- Google Sheets
Every booking goes into a 'Bookings' tab, and rows your staff type in count as taken.
- Stafff diary / portal
A built-in diary with 'Tonight', call transcripts, 'Needs reply' and results.
- Email alerts
Handoffs such as allergy questions and messages land in your inbox.
- Text confirmations
Guests get a confirmation text after booking (launching with the pilot).
- ResDiary · OpenTable · Collins — on the roadmap
Not integrated today. We'll say so clearly when they are.
The stuff owners ask before they sign up.
How do calls reach Stafff if I keep my restaurant's number?
You set a call divert on your existing line, with no number porting. On the Overflow plan (£149 a month ex VAT) calls divert only when you're busy or don't answer during opening hours. On Full Service (£299 a month ex VAT) every call diverts, including after hours. You can switch the divert off at any time.
Will callers know they're speaking to an AI?
Yes. Stafff greets callers with 'Hi, you've reached [your restaurant]. I'm the restaurant's virtual assistant,' and always says it's an AI if asked. Call recording is off by default; transcripts are kept instead. If recording were ever switched on, callers would be told. For your own obligations, check ICO guidance or ask your adviser.
Does Stafff answer allergy questions?
No, deliberately. Food Standards Agency guidance says allergen information must be available for phone and online orders and must be accurate, and your business is responsible for it. So Stafff passes every allergy or dietary-safety question to your staff, marked 'Needs reply' in the portal with an email alert, for someone who knows the kitchen to answer.
Can Stafff use my Google Sheet instead of a booking system?
Yes. Stafff writes every booking into a 'Bookings' tab (date, time, guests, name, phone, status, source, Stafff ID and notes) and reads rows your staff type in, like walk-ins or phone notes, so those tables count as taken. It's built for restaurants with a paper diary or spreadsheet. ResDiary, OpenTable and Collins aren't integrated yet.
How much does an AI receptionist cost for a restaurant?
Stafff's pilot pricing is £149 a month for Overflow (300 minutes, answering when your team can't) or £299 a month for Full Service (1,000 minutes, every call including after hours). Both exclude VAT and are monthly, and you can cancel any time. Extra minutes are 20p each. The Stafff team does the setup with you.
What happens if Stafff can't answer a question?
It never makes an answer up. Stafff only uses information you've approved: hours, address, parking, menu and prices, and answers you've written. For anything else it tells the caller it'll pass the question on, takes their name and number, and adds it to 'Needs reply'. Urgent calls can be transferred live to a team mobile.