BJ’s Restaurants Inc. plans to expand its AI-backed labor management platform across its restaurant system in 2026.
“This AI-driven tool uses sophisticated forecasting to align staffing levels and roles more effectively with guest demand,” according to the company’s annual report from April.
The casual dining chain has been testing this AI-driven platform since 2025 to “optimize its service model,” in alignment with Chief Executive Lyle Tick’s back-to-basics strategy of removing friction in operations for both employees and customers.
“Trying to keep it as simple as possible and focused as possible is what we’re doing,” Tick told the Business Journal in December.
Shares of BJ’s Restaurants, based in Huntington Beach, were down 1.3% to $37.69 during midday trading on Monday with a $792 million market cap (Nasdaq: BJRI).
