AI on the Line

Welcome, Ohio Restaurant Leaders!

Thank you for attending the President's Council & REACH Women in Hospitality Leadership event on October 22, 2025. This page contains everything you need to start your AI implementation journey.

The Starter Stack: Three 30-Day Wins

Pick one. Try it for 30 days. Measure the results.

📸

Snap-to-Prep

Take a photo of your walk-in, get a prep list, "86 soon" warnings, and specials suggestions.

15-25% Waste Reduction

$200-500 Monthly Savings

📅

Smart Scheduling

Input staff availability and sales data, get an optimized schedule that hits labor targets.

3-5% Labor Cost Reduction

2-3 hrs Saved Weekly

👥

Guest Growth Kit

Generate Google Business Profile posts, SMS win-backs, and social media content in minutes.

15-30% Engagement Increase

5-10% Return Rate Boost

Your Safety Rail: The R-A-I-L Framework

Before implementing any AI solution, run it through this checklist.

Responsible

Ethical, transparent data use with proper consent

Auditable

Clear logs and decision trails you can review

Interpretable

Staff and legal can understand the outputs

Layered

Human override, safety-first protocols

"If you can't see the rail, don't ride the train."

Download Your Complete Toolkit

Everything you need to start implementing AI in your restaurant operations.

📦 Complete AI Toolkit Package

✓ Step-by-step implementation guides for all three Starter Stack Plays
✓ Copy-paste prompt templates ready to use
✓ 30-day challenge tracker with metrics
✓ R-A-I-L framework checklist
✓ Essential questions for vendor evaluation
✓ The Three-Empire Ladder investment framework
✓ Troubleshooting guide and FAQs

Download Toolkit (PDF)

Or download as Markdown for easy editing

Take the 30-Day Challenge

Commit to implementing one AI solution and measuring the results.

Choose Your Play

Pick Snap-to-Prep, Smart Scheduling, or Guest Growth Kit

Complete Setup

Follow the implementation guide (10-45 minutes)

Use Daily/Weekly

Integrate into your operations for 30 days

Measure & Share

Calculate ROI and share your wins on LinkedIn

Ready to commit? Download the toolkit and sign your pledge.

Get Started Now

About the Author

Melinda Davenport is a strategist, board advisor, and Principal at Sandline Strategies, where she helps businesses adopt AI without the enterprise budget. As Vice President at Equinix—the company powering the AI infrastructure behind ChatGPT, Claude, and every major AI platform—she's at the forefront of the AI revolution. Previously, she led global teams at Meta through the historic Facebook-to-Meta rebrand, mobilizing 75,000 employees through transformation.

Melinda believes independent operators shouldn't need Fortune 500 resources to compete with major chains. This toolkit was created for her keynote at the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance in October 2025.

Connect on LinkedIn Sandline Strategies

Want help implementing AI in your business? Let's talk.

About This Toolkit

This toolkit was created for the "AI on the Line: From Prep to Plate—Your Playbook" keynote presentation at the President's Council & REACH Women in Hospitality Leadership event on October 22, 2025, hosted by the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance.

The content is designed specifically for independent restaurant operators who want practical, no-regret AI implementations that deliver measurable results within 30 days.