7 guides
A guest who cannot read the menu orders less confidently, asks fewer questions and waits longer for help. These guides compare the ways restaurants close that gap, from printed translations to a chat that answers in the language the guest writes in, and say exactly which languages have been tested.
See also multilingual ordering in WaiterPilot and the 12-point checklist for serving tourists.
Guests in every language
AI menu translation is usually fine for plain dishes and least reliable for local, figurative or culture-specific dish names. One 2025 study counted 135 errors in 118 AI translations of Lithuanian dishes, against 101 in 154 by human translators. Neither is error-free, so check every translated menu with a native reader before guests see it.
10 min read
Guests in every language
Translate or transliterate dish names, set Arabic right to left, choose Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect, show prices clearly, and leave halal to staff.
9 min read
Guests in every language
No app, no LINE sign-up, questions in the guest's own language, rounds of orders and a split bill: what inbound visitors need at the table in Japan.
8 min read
Guests in every language
Halal and alcohol questions, Arabic dish names, which Arabic to use, notes your kitchen can't read, and a staff phrase card. Practical steps for any restaurant.
8 min read
Guests in every language
About one in eight US residents speaks Spanish at home, as does one in five restaurant workers. How to serve both, from the menu to the kitchen ticket.
8 min read
Guests in every language
Printed translations, translated QR menus, photos, staff and chat each fail in different places. Cost, upkeep and what happens when a guest asks a question.
9 min read
Guests in every language
Twelve steps for serving guests who don't speak your language: menu, photos, allergens, prices, tipping, waiter calls and bills, plus an example order.
8 min read
