The challenge: Invisible growth and missed opportunities
The owner of a local BBQ catering business is a world-class pitmaster, but he also works a full-time job as a realtor. He had a dream of scaling his BBQ business, but he lacked the time to manage frequent catering inquiries after hours or handle the complex back-and-forth required for weddings and large events. At the start of the partnership, the business had no Google presence and was effectively invisible to local searchers.
The solution: Building an AI brain for the business
Howell Studios deployed an AI Receptionist trained specifically to act as a catering specialist:
- Menu mastery: The AI was programmed with the full catering menu to answer specific food questions.
- Business rules: It was taught specific order minimums and event requirements to filter out low-value inquiries.
- Intent targeting: The agency identified “high-intent searchers” looking for wedding caterers and funneled them directly to the AI-powered site.
The results: Tripled revenue and zero-touch bookings
The AI Receptionist began teeing up guaranteed jobs by vetting brides, grooms, and event planners while the owner was at his day job.
- Revenue impact: By the end of the year, the owner realized he had tripled his annual revenue compared to the previous year.
- Zero-touch leads: The owner now only steps in to send a payment link once the AI employee has finalized the catering details.
- Scalable growth: With the proof of performance in hand, the client is now aiming to triple the business again this year.
