Greene King has turned to AI-generated assistants to staff its bars as hospitality firms battle to absorb rising costs, City AM can reveal. The Chinese-owned pub chain, one of the UK's largest, is using a 'virtual assistant' named 'Charlie' to answer the phone at a number of sites, including in London.
AI in London Pubs
The shift to digital bartenders comes as Britain's hospitality industry faces growing pressures from April tax rises and new workers' rights laws that weigh heavily on pubs' ability to hire workers. The virtual assistant is being used to 'drive efficiencies' at the Rutland Arms in Hammersmith and three of the 10 Greene King pubs in and around the Square Mile contacted by City AM. The George in Borough, Anchor Bankside in Southwark, and Ye Olde Cock Tavern in Temple each use the non-human worker to answer their phone lines.
The pub chain had previously said it is trialling AI in backroom services like waste management at two 'innovation pubs' in Leicestershire, but had not disclosed its use of artificial intelligence for frontline services until now.
Greene King's Statement
A spokesperson for Greene King told City AM: 'We have been trialling an AI conversational voice assistant in select pubs and restaurants as we look to leverage digital capabilities and drive efficiencies across our estate. The system is designed to support our bookings process, ensuring that no call goes unanswered whilst allowing our team members to continue to provide outstanding in-person experiences for our customers.'
Mixed Reactions from Patrons
Sam Cullen, a pub historian and author of London's Lost Pubs, told City AM he would find it 'slightly unnerving' to encounter a virtual assistant when phoning up his local. 'But if it frees up hard-working staff to prioritise their in-person punters, and make the pub a homely, welcoming environment for all, then I can understand. I certainly wouldn't want to encounter anything remotely resembling AI while ordering at the bar though.'
Square Mile pub goers were also conflicted on Greene King's use of AI, with one saying he feels it is 'against the pub ethos,' but 'anything that keeps workers off phones and pouring pints is welcome.' Another City punter said: 'I understand the strain placed on the hospitality industry, but the pub is, by definition, a public space to enjoy human interaction. The thought of being 'served' by AI at the pub is depressing and adds a layer of admin that just shouldn't be needed.'
Industry Pressures
Hospitality firms have said they are facing almost unbearable pressures on their bottom lines, made up of business rate rises, living wage hikes, and increased red tape on flexible working contracts. Two-thirds of hospitality businesses will be forced to cut jobs and one in seven will shut altogether as a result of these 'suffocating' April cost rises, according to trade body UKHospitality.
Earlier this month Greene King unveiled plans to sell 150 pubs and offload dozens more to franchisees, on the same day its managing director quit. The pub chain said it would put around 300 of its 2,500 British pubs into a separate unit, half of which will be sold while the remaining locations will be converted into leased, tenanted, or franchise venues. Chief executive Nick Mackenzie said the move came in response to changing consumer habits and a 'dynamic' operating environment.
