Technology

Toast expands AI tools for labor management, marketing

Photo: Vesna Art/Shutterstock

October 13, 2026

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Boston-based tech platformToast has introduced AI-powered labor management tools and expanded its digital marketing capabilities. The tech and upgrades are geared to automate time-consuming tasks by using restaurant data from sales, employees and customers.

Improved labor management

Toast IQ Team, one of company's new offers, combines sales forecasting, AI-assisted scheduling, team performance metrics and payroll and tip management. Some of its AI agents are in beta. Still, the company said that restaurants using Toast's scheduling software within Toast IQ Team's platform averaged 41% fewer overtime hours per employee than those not using it.

The platform also includes employee contests geared to boost sales of selected menu items. Restaurants running the contests reported an average 10% increase in sales of featured items. MugShots Bar & Grill, for example, recorded a 14% increase in alcohol sales during a recent contest.

Other updates include an employee app for viewing schedules, swapping shifts and tracking earnings, as well as integrated access to health insurance and 401(k) benefits.

Expanded marketing capabilities

Toast IQ Grow, introduced earlier this year, combines AI-powered marketing tools with dedicated human marketing support. The platform's upgrades help improve many marketing tasks.

The new SEO agent is available in beta. It analyzes a restaurant's online presence and Toast data to identify opportunities to improve its visibility through traditional and AI-powered searches. Toast is also adding professional photography services, including two on-site photo shoots annually.

An offers agent, also in beta, recommends promotions based on business goals and customer transaction data, such as attracting first-time customers or encouraging lapsed diners to return. Another AI agent develops personalized email, text message and social media campaigns for operator approval.

A new reviews agent encourages guests to leave feedback and provides a way for unhappy customers to share concerns directly with the restaurant. Tarka Indian Kitchen's owner said the number of Google reviews increased by 39% and five-star reviews rose by 41% in the 10 weeks after adopting the tool, compared with the preceding 10 weeks.

Toast is also testing additional AI agents for menu optimization, phone answering and customized operational tasks.

The updates include Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Quebec French language support across selected Toast products, a fuel operations and payments module for convenience stores and new Toast Tables features to assist with automatic checkout and event ticket sales.