One hot January day, and a cold beer.
Ai-Menu has come a long way from its humble beginnings, continually adapting and expanding to meet the ever-evolving needs of the hospitality industry.
At Ai-Menu, our mission is to revolutionise the hospitality industry by providing a comprehensive technology solution that enhances operational efficiency and profitability for venues. We empower venues by streamlining the ordering process directly from the end customer, establishing ourselves as the one-stop shop for all technological needs and support.
“Now THAT’S a great concept and service!”
It all started on an exceptionally hot January day. Our founder, Vlad, was out with his family in the bustling city centre. With temperatures soaring into the high 30s, all he wanted was a cold beer. Then a waiter approached with an iPad in a clunky, grey acrylic cover. Despite the awkward design, he ordered a beer from the tablet — and within 10 seconds, it arrived.
That moment sparked an idea: a digital menu that looks and feels like a traditional menu, but offers all the benefits of modern technology — instant ordering and waiter calls included.
The first trial was a disaster.
At Stones Restaurant in Wellington Point, orders printed one by one and overwhelmed the kitchen. The critical flaw: the system assumed the server would always be online. It was redesigned to keep working through server failures, and the interface was rebuilt around restaurant workflow — producing Ai-Menu’s distinctive “bump screen”, a feature that remains largely unchanged to this day.
Three months later the revamped system returned to Stones and was praised immediately. When it was taken away for servicing, service slowed, orders were missed, and entree and dessert sales declined. Everyone could see what it was worth.
The Collaboration
A partnership with Shaun took Ai-Menu to other restaurants. Client feedback drove POS capabilities, bump screens, multiple printers, takeaway, stock management, reporting, split bills, part payments, EFTPOS integration, vouchers and customer management.
The Growth
Larger clients brought robust servers, multi-kitchen support, separate POS and admin terminals, and integrations with delivery, card payments, accounting and staff scheduling. Kiosks turned Ai-Menu into a complete POS and menu-integrated solution.
The Impact of COVID-19
Overnight, Ai-Menu lost 80% of its revenue as venues were forced to close. We introduced an online takeaway system within the week. By July 2020, revenue had returned to pre-COVID levels.
Tablets, QR codes, kiosks.
The success of online takeaway ordering during the pandemic fostered the concept of QR ordering. Today we cater to every kind of venue: kiosks for fast-food restaurants, QR codes for cafes and bars, and tablets for table-service establishments.
Zero-cost EFTPOS, reconciled automatically.
Integrated reporting automates the cumbersome daily reconciliation process. Our machines offer Pay@Table, pre-authorization, MOTO, 4G failover, and mobile and battery-powered options for reliability.
Real AI, built for real service.
Today two AI assistants live inside the ecosystem, both developed in Australia with Australian support.
Ask “how did lunch trade perform today?” and get an answer in seconds. Ai-Mate forecasts demand from your sales history to cut food waste, automates reordering and routine checks, and watches sales, inventory and staff performance for problems worth catching early.
When the phone rings mid-service, Ai-Phone answers: takes the booking, places the takeaway order, handles the quick question. Staff can step in any time, and you can switch it on only for peak hours. It supports the team rather than replacing it.
Queensland’s 40 Under 40, 2026.
In August 2026, Ai-Menu Systems managing director Vladimir Bigdan was named in InDaily Queensland’s 40 Under 40 – an annual list of the state’s young business leaders and innovators, celebrated at the awards dinner at Howard Smith Wharves.
The citation credits the same problem we started with: hospitality businesses struggling with outdated technology. Ai-Menu Systems now powers hundreds of venues with integrated ordering, payments and AI, proving a Queensland business can compete with global industry leaders.
Built by hospitality people, for hospitality people.
One connected platform — POS, ordering, payments, bookings, and AI automation — built for Australian hospitality.