Chef-iT launches AI avatar for restaurant operators

Chef-iT, a new conversational AI avatar from TV Chef George Lovato Jr., is now live for chefs, restaurateurs, caterers and food truck operators. The tool is built to help foodservice users with menu costing, promotions, staffing, training and other business decisions inside the kitchen.

Why it matters: - Chef-iT is aimed at a restaurant industry that often needs faster access to costing, marketing and operations help without slowing down service. - The platform is designed to give chefs and operators a conversational AI tool that supports both culinary work and business decision-making. - Lovato argues the bigger shift is not AI replacing kitchen staff, but helping them work more efficiently and make better business choices.

What happened: - Chef-iT™, a conversational AI avatar created by TV Chef George Lovato Jr., is now live. - Lovato is the On-Call Outdoor Chef and host of the television series Chasing The Flames. - The launch was announced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sept. 3, 2026. - The product is being positioned for professional chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, food trucks and other culinary entrepreneurs.

The details: - Chef-iT is described as an “everything culinary” AI avatar that users can talk to by voice. - Users can ask Chef George, the interactive avatar, about menu costing, selling prices, food costs, menu changes, promotions and special events. - The platform also covers kitchen training, purchasing, inventory, staffing, customer experience and restaurant operations. - Chef-iT can help with recipe and menu development, food costing, culinary techniques, restaurant marketing and training concepts. - The system can remember information from prior conversations, which is designed to make responses more relevant over time. - Lovato said users do not need to understand prompts or complicated software to use the tool. - The company is promoting Chef-iT as a business resource, not a replacement for chefs, general managers, accountants, marketing professionals or restaurant consultants. - A website link was not provided in the release, but the announcement includes social channels for Chasing The Flames: Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The pitch reflects a broader push to make AI useful in everyday work by hiding technical complexity behind a simple conversation. - The strongest use case in the release is not cooking advice, but help with margins, pricing and menu decisions. - That focus suggests Chef-iT is trying to solve a familiar restaurant problem: talented operators who may lack formal business training.

What's next: - Chef-iT is expected to be used as a standing resource for operators who want quick input on food costs, marketing ideas and operational questions. - Lovato said the long-term goal is for AI to become an everyday tool inside professional kitchens. - The company is betting that chefs who learn to use AI may gain an advantage over those who ignore it.