15 ChatGPT prompts every café owner should be using

If you've opened ChatGPT once, typed "write me a Facebook post for my café" and got back something that sounded like a cheerful robot, you're not alone. The tool isn't the problem. The prompt is.

ChatGPT works best when you treat it like a new staff member on their first day. Tell it who you are, what you need, who it's for and what good looks like. Give it that, and it can save you hours every week.

A good way to start is with one small, everyday task, like a specials board description or a reply to a common email. Then build from there.

Below are 15 prompts I'd hand to any café owner. Copy them, fill in the bits in [square brackets] and paste them in. Each one has a quick note on when to use it.

One golden rule before we start: ChatGPT can sound confident and still be wrong. Always check anything to do with food safety, allergens, wages, awards, tax or legal requirements against an official source or a qualified person. Use it for drafts and ideas, not final answers on rules.

Menu prompts

1. Turn leftovers into specials

I run a café in [suburb, city]. At the end of this week I'll have extra [list ingredients and rough quantities]. Suggest 5 specials I could put on the board that use these up, can be made with a standard café kitchen, and suit [breakfast/lunch]. For each, give a short menu name, a one-line description and the main extra ingredients I'd need.

Use it: on Thursday or Friday when you're looking at the cool room and wondering what to do with it all.

2. Write menu descriptions that sell

Rewrite these menu items so they sound appetising but stay honest and short (under 15 words each). Our café style is [relaxed/modern/family-friendly]. Don't use the words "delicious", "mouth-watering" or "perfect". Items: [paste items with key ingredients].

Use it: when you're updating your menu, or a dish isn't selling and you suspect the description is the problem.

3. Check a dish against your costing

Here is the recipe and ingredient cost for one serve of [dish]: [paste ingredients, portions and costs]. My selling price is $[price] including GST (Australia, 10% GST). Work out the food cost percentage excluding GST, show your maths step by step, and suggest 3 ways to bring the food cost down without making the dish feel smaller.

Use it: after you've costed a dish and want a second pair of eyes on the maths. Always double-check the numbers yourself.

Staff prompts

4. Turn your know-how into an SOP

Write a simple one-page standard operating procedure for [task, e.g. closing the coffee machine] in a small café. Use numbered steps, plain English, and include a short "common mistakes" section at the end. Here's how we do it now: [describe your steps in your own words].

Use it: when you're tired of explaining the same task to every new starter.

5. Build a first-week training plan

Create a 5-day training plan for a new [barista/kitchen hand/front of house] at a small café that's open [days and hours]. Each day should have 3 to 5 clear goals, what they'll shadow, and a simple check at the end of the day to see if they've got it.

Use it: before a new hire's first day, so they're not just "following someone around".

6. Write a fair roster message

Write a short, friendly message to my café team explaining that [roster change, e.g. we're moving to a new roster from next month because ...]. Keep it warm, clear and under 120 words, and invite them to talk to me if it causes problems.

Use it: when you have news the team might not love and you want the tone right.

Before you send anything AI-written to your team, read it once out loud. If it doesn't sound like you, tweak it until it does.

Marketing prompts

7. Plan a month of social posts

I run [café name], a [style] café in [suburb]. Our regulars are mostly [describe customers]. Give me a 4-week social media plan with 3 posts a week for Facebook and Instagram. Mix behind-the-scenes, menu, team and community posts. For each, give a one-line idea and a suggested photo.

Use it: at the start of each month, so you're not staring at a blank screen every morning.

8. Write a post that sounds like you

Here are 3 posts I've written before that sound like me: [paste them]. Using the same tone and length, write a post announcing [news, e.g. our new winter menu starts Monday]. Don't use hashtags in the middle of sentences and keep emojis to two at most.

Use it: whenever ChatGPT's posts sound too "salesy". Giving it your own writing is the fastest fix.

9. Write your Google Business Profile description

Write a Google Business Profile description (under 750 characters) for [café name] in [suburb, city]. Mention what we're known for [list], our opening hours [hours], and who we're great for [e.g. families, remote workers, dog owners]. Make it natural, not stuffed with keywords.

Use it: once, then refresh it every few months. It's one of the first things locals see when they search for you.

Customer reply prompts

10. Reply to a bad review calmly

Here is a negative Google review of my café: [paste review]. Write a calm, polite reply under 100 words that thanks them, acknowledges the specific issue without being defensive, says what we're doing about it [describe], and invites them to contact us at [email/phone]. No excuses, no arguing.

Use it: when a review stings and you need to reply without your emotions doing the typing.

11. Thank a great review (without sounding like a template)

Write 3 different short replies (under 50 words each) to this positive review: [paste review]. Mention something specific from what they wrote, and sound like a real person who runs a local café.

Use it: to keep up with reviews each week without every reply looking copy-pasted.

12. Answer common questions quickly

Customers often message us asking about [e.g. dietary options, bookings for groups, dogs, parking]. Here are our real answers: [paste facts]. Write short, friendly replies to each question that I can save as quick replies on Facebook and Instagram.

Use it: to set up saved replies once, so you're not typing the same answer ten times a week. Only feed it facts you've confirmed, especially about allergens.

Admin prompts

13. Turn a messy list into a checklist

Here is everything I need to do to [e.g. open the café on a Saturday / get ready for a council inspection]: [paste your messy notes]. Organise it into a clear checklist grouped by area, in the order it should be done.

Use it: any time your to-do list lives across three notebooks and the back of a docket.

14. Draft an email to a supplier

Write a polite but firm email to my supplier [name] about [issue, e.g. three late deliveries this month]. Include the dates [list], explain the impact on my café, and ask for a clear plan to fix it. Keep it under 150 words.

Use it: when you need to raise a problem without burning a relationship you rely on.

15. Make sense of your sales numbers

Here are my weekly sales by item for the last 4 weeks: [paste table or numbers]. Tell me which items are growing, which are dropping, and which sell well but might be low-margin. Ask me questions if anything is unclear. Don't make up any numbers.

Use it: once a month with a cuppa. Remove customer names or personal details before you paste anything in.

Tips to get better answers

• Give context. Your suburb, your customers and your style change everything.
• Say what you don't want. "No hashtags", "under 100 words", "don't sound salesy".
• Ask it to ask you questions. Adding "ask me any questions you need first" often gives a far better result.
• Edit, don't just paste. The best results come when you treat the answer as a first draft and add your own touch.
• Keep private things private. Don't paste staff personal details, customer information or passwords.

One more thing: is your café showing up in AI answers?

Here's something worth knowing. More and more customers are asking tools like ChatGPT for recommendations, such as "best brunch café near [suburb]" or "dog-friendly café in [suburb] with good coffee".

So try it yourself. Open ChatGPT (and other AI assistants if you use them) and ask the kinds of questions your customers would ask. Does your café come up? Is the information right, like your hours and what you're known for?

If you don't appear, or the details are wrong, start with the basics: keep your Google Business Profile complete and up to date, make sure your website clearly says what you serve and where you are, and keep encouraging happy customers to leave reviews. It's a newer area, so the cafés that pay attention now have a head start.

FAQ

Is ChatGPT free for café owners to use? There's a free version that handles all of the prompts above. Paid plans add extra features, but check OpenAI's current plans to see whether you need one. Most café owners can start with the free version.

Can I trust ChatGPT with food safety or award wage questions? Use it to draft or summarise, then always check with official sources such as your local council, Food Standards Australia New Zealand or the Fair Work Ombudsman. It can make mistakes while sounding very sure.

Will customers know my posts were written with AI? Not if you give it examples of your own writing and edit the result. Add a real detail from your week, like a regular's order or a new dish, and it will sound like you.