The challenge: Invisible growth and missed opportunities
The owner of King’s Barbecue 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.
“The AI receptionist handles everything from menu questions to event vetting based on the owner’s specific requirements. It’s teeing up guaranteed catering jobs in the background while the client focuses on other commitments. The result is a ‘hands-off’ sales cycle where the only requirement is sending a Stripe payment link.” — Matt Dakin, Chief Operating Officer at Howell Studios