How Ovation Bistro & Bar trimmed 42 hours of labor a week with Maple

What was the phone situation like before Maple?

"I would miss calls and I would know I'd miss calls because I would get texts from regulars like, 'Hey, are you guys open today?' And I was like, what do you mean, are we open?"

Joel tried everything — dedicated phone staff, a cell phone in someone's pocket, switching phone systems. Nothing stuck. The calls kept getting missed, and he kept paying for hosts who were split between the floor and the phone.

How did he find Maple?

"I was having my evening cocktail and somebody had the audacity to call me back at midnight. And I freaking loved it. That's the kind of company I want to work with."

Joel saw a Maple ad about missed reservations and reached out. The midnight callback told him everything he needed to know about the team. He's been on the platform ever since.

What changed day-to-day at his restaurants?

"Maple's never gonna have attitude. She's never gonna be tired. She's never gonna come in not wanting to be here. She's gonna be on point every time."

Joel noticed the same questions coming in on repeat — patio seating, pet policy, specials, hours. Maple handles all of it. His hosts can focus on the floor. And guests started complimenting "that nice young lady" who answered the phone — not realizing it was AI.

How does the Copilot feature change his routine?

"Instead of me sitting there listening to audio calls in the evening, I get to play with my six-year-old."

Before Copilot, Joel listened to every call recording himself to find gaps in Maple's knowledge base. Now Maple surfaces the issues automatically. He clicks through, approves or edits suggestions, and he's done. Time he used to spend on calls now goes to his six-year-old daughter.

How does he think about the ROI?

"Five restaurants, at least one host eliminated per shift per day — that's 20. Friday and Saturday I cut two. I've eliminated over 42 hours a week. And that's before you count a single reservation or order Maple takes."

Across five restaurants, Maple saves more than a full workweek of host labor before counting a single reservation or order. For Joel, that makes Maple a clear net positive — and every booking or phone order it captures adds even more upside.

What would he tell other restaurant owners?

"There's no contract. Try it, see the money you save, see the money you generate. It's gonna pay for itself almost immediately if you put the time into training it."

Joel's pitch to skeptics is simple: if you're not doing it, the restaurant next to you is. The upfront time investment — he spent about eight to ten hours loading his knowledge base — pays off fast. And the more you train it, the better it gets.