Former Meta Engineer Turns Social App Algorithms Into Tools For Restaurant Workflows

After years building systems at major tech firms, an executive who helped sharpen social platforms with machine learning is directing that same approach at independent restaurants — automating routine tasks, answering busy phone lines and harvesting orders that often slip through the cracks.

Kerry Zhang, who held senior engineering roles at Yahoo, Tinder and Google before joining Meta, says she watched how algorithmic systems changed product behavior at massive scale. "I've seen these technologies flip how people interact with products," she said in a recent interview. She grew convinced that the next wave of software would reshape more than just developers' tools and consumer apps; it could alter everyday work for small businesses that have limited technology budgets.

Zhang and co‑founders chose the dining sector because it’s full of small teams juggling in-person service with calls, takeout apps and special requests. They piloted their system at a busy barbecue restaurant on Father’s Day, routing incoming calls to an automated agent instead of to the staff. The AI handled about 350 calls that day — questions about hours, reservations and whether menu items were still available. The tests showed takeout volume rose roughly twofold and the business posted about a one‑sixth gain in daily sales compared with the same holiday the previous year.

But the pilot also revealed a different opportunity: many callers were asking about large orders and events, not just a table or a sandwich. Catering inquiries often require back‑and‑forth about guest counts, budgets and modifications, which pulls managers off the floor. Zhang’s team built a dedicated virtual catering coordinator to manage those conversations. One multi‑unit operator reportedly processed $5,800 in orders through the system in a single day, converting previously missed leads into revenue.

Industry consultants say tools like this could change how independent operators allocate labor. "Restaurants already run on tight margins and thinner staffs," said Maria Lopez, a restaurant operations adviser. "If software can handle routine outreach and follow-up, managers get hours back to focus on service and kitchen flow — and owners stop losing out on big orders." Zhang frames her move away from big tech as a search for practical impact: she wants machines to take on repetitive work so people can concentrate on human tasks that still matter.