One system that runs the restaurant, not five that report on it

Sturgeon replaces the patchwork of POS reports, scheduling apps, review inboxes, and spreadsheets with one AI operations platform that reads your live data and acts on it. Here's how it compares to the usual stack, capability by capability.

Why operators switch

Most “restaurant tech” is a reporting layer. Sturgeon is an operating layer. It doesn't just show you the problem; it acts on it.

Swipe to compare

CapabilityThe usual stackSturgeon
Daily P&L visibilitySpreadsheet Friday, if someone has timeDaily Flash, computed every minute
AIA chatbot bolted onto a dashboardA consultant with 30+ tools over your live data
LLM cost & privacyPer-token fees; your data pooled to train their shared modelYour own isolated instance at a flat price, never pooled
ReviewsAnonymous star countsMatched to the exact guest, visit, and check
SeatingManual floor Tetris at 5:45pmConstraint-solver plans in seconds
OvertimeFound on payroll, two weeks latePredicted days ahead, with a fix suggested
Marketing attributionClicks and impressionsCovers seated and revenue banked
The stack5–7 subscriptions and glue spreadsheetsOne platform, one source of truth

Questions operators ask

Everything you need to know before you put Sturgeon on the line.

How is my restaurant's data kept private?

Every restaurant runs on its own dedicated, isolated Sturgeon instance. Your sales, payroll, guest lists, and reviews are never pooled with other businesses or used to train shared models. The plan is flat, so there is no per-question metering on top.

Which systems does Sturgeon connect to?

Toast, Square, and Clover for POS, 7shifts and Sling for labor, MarginEdge for invoices, OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms for reservations, plus Google, Meta, and Twilio for reviews and marketing. Sturgeon connects through OAuth and API keys, so there is no data-migration project and no engineers are required.

How long does it take to get live?

Under a week. You connect your systems on day one. History backfills and the models calibrate on day two. By day three, the AI consultant already knows your covers, costs, and guests. No implementation team, no six-month rollout.

Do I have to replace the tools I already use?

No, not to start. The intelligence layer reads from the systems you're already running, such as your POS, scheduling, and purchasing, and unifies them into one live dashboard, so it replaces nothing. If you want to reduce subscriptions and services, the full stack offers replacements for those tools too. Upgrading also centralizes more of your data, which makes it more powerful and actionable, and you can upgrade whenever you're ready.

Will the AI message my guests without me?

Only if you want it to. Review replies, win-back campaigns, and purchase orders are drafted for you and wait for one-tap approval. You stay in control of everything that reaches a guest or a vendor.

Does it work across multiple locations?

Yes. Sturgeon rolls up sales, labor, and guest data across locations while letting you drill into any single restaurant. Operators running two to a dozen rooms use the same Daily Flash to compare performance side by side.

What is Stu, the AI consultant?

Stu is Sturgeon's AI operations consultant: it answers questions about your restaurant from your live sales, labor, purchasing, and guest data, and then acts on them. Ask who should close Friday, what to 86, or which vendor is creeping on price. Stu runs 30+ tools over your data and drafts the schedule change or purchase order for your approval.

What is a Daily Flash report?

A Daily Flash is the one-screen summary of how the restaurant is doing today: sales, labor, covers and pacing, overtime risk, waste, and open follow-ups. Sturgeon computes it every minute from your live systems instead of assembling it in a spreadsheet. You arrange its 30+ widgets so the numbers you act on come first.

Can Sturgeon answer my restaurant's phone?

Yes, on the Full stack plan. Ava, Sturgeon's concierge, answers calls and the inbox and checks your policies and the reservation book. She then either books the guest on the spot or hands the call to a person, with the follow-up already on someone's checklist.

How is Sturgeon different from restaurant reporting software?

Reporting tools show you the problem; Sturgeon also acts on it. It reads the same POS, labor, and invoice data, then drafts the purchase order, the review reply, the win-back campaign, or the schedule fix, and waits for your one-tap approval.

What does Sturgeon cost?

Two flat monthly plans: the Intelligence layer at $150 a month, which runs over the POS, scheduling, and purchasing you already use, and the Full stack at $350 a month, which is the whole application plus the intelligence layer. Each restaurant is on a dedicated instance, so there are no per-token, per-query, or per-seat fees. You don't need a credit card or a long-term contract to start. An Enterprise plan for restaurant groups and chains is also available. Contact us to talk about pricing.

Your next service is already forecast.

See your own numbers in Sturgeon in under a week, with your POS connected, your forecasts calibrated, and Stu answering. White-glove onboarding is included.

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No credit card. No six-month contract. Your data stays yours.