Me&u Founder Stevan Premutico’s New Startup Is Tackling Another Restaurant Pain Point: Phone Calls

Why It Matters

Unanswered calls represent a hidden revenue leak; automating call handling can boost bookings and reduce labor strain across the hospitality industry.

Key Takeaways

• One third of restaurant calls go unanswered, costing revenue
• Hey Buddy's voice AI handles calls and converts them to bookings
• Over 1,000 Australian venues have adopted Hey Buddy
• Founder Stevan Premutico previously built Dimmi and me&u
• AI reduces staff distraction, improving guest experience

Pulse Analysis

In the hospitality sector, the telephone remains a critical sales channel, yet roughly one‑third of inbound calls are never answered. In Australia that translates to more than 22 million missed calls out of 77 million placed each year, directly eroding bookings and average check sizes. Managers often pull staff from the floor to answer phones, creating a ripple effect that slows service, frustrates diners, and inflates labor costs. The hidden revenue leak has become a quantifiable pain point that technology firms are eager to solve.

Hey Buddy, founded by serial restaurateur Stevan Premutico, tackles this exact issue with a voice‑AI platform that answers calls, fields inquiries, and instantly books tables. After a year of development, the system is already live in more than 1,000 Australian venues, including Australian Venue Co and House Made Hospitality. By automating the call flow, the platform frees waitstaff to focus on table service, reduces labor overhead, and captures revenue that would otherwise be lost. Premutico’s track record—building Dimmi (now The Fork) and me&u—adds credibility to the venture’s rapid adoption.

The Hey Buddy rollout signals a broader shift toward conversational AI in hospitality, where human interaction remains prized but repetitive tasks are delegated to machines. As voice recognition improves and integration with reservation systems becomes seamless, operators can expect higher table turnover, better data on guest preferences, and lower staffing volatility. Investors are watching the category closely, noting that AI‑driven front‑of‑house solutions could unlock billions in incremental revenue worldwide. For restaurants, embracing such technology may soon be as essential as adopting digital menus or contactless payments.