He Wanted to Know Why Sales Were Down 30% — Now Brian Kelley Helps Restaurants Predict What's Next

Brian Kelley, founder and CEO of Butter AI, shares how his experience as a restaurant owner led him to build a platform that helps operators make faster, smarter decisions. What started as a search for answers behind sales fluctuations evolved into a tool that combines POS data, weather, sports schedules, reviews, reservations, and AI-powered insights. This episode explores predictive analytics, menu optimization, restaurant operations, and why technology should help managers spend more time leading people and less time staring at spreadsheets. Managers Need Less Reporting, More Leading – Brian Kelley built Butter AI after watching restaurant managers spend too much time buried in spreadsheets and not enough time running the floor, coaching employees, and serving guests. The Best Predictions Use More Than POS Data – Butter combines sales data with weather, sports schedules, reservations, reviews, and local events to help operators understand what happened yesterday and prepare for what might happen next. Small Menu Changes Can Unlock Big Revenue – By comparing menus against local competitors, Butter helps restaurants identify pricing opportunities that can improve profitability without adding new menu items or increasing traffic. Episode Links: Brian Kelley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianckelley/ Butter AI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/butterme-ai/ Butter AI: https://butterme.ai/ Butter AI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butterme.ai/ Butter AI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buttermeai Butter AI YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ButterAI-e6o Where to find Cali BBQ MediaVisit our WebsiteFollow Restaurant Technology SubstackFollow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInLearn About our Media Services