Loading...
# Fonitix AI
AI voice agents that answer restaurant calls 24/7 - replacing $3,000/month operators with $249/month automation
Intelligent phone ordering system with real-time menu management, POS integration, and comprehensive analytics. Built to capture every call and eliminate labor costs.
🤖 AI Voice Technology
💼 SaaS Platform
⚡ Next.js & TypeScript
🔄 Real-time Processing
September 2025 - Present
Co-Founder & Product Designer / Full-Stack Developer
The Problem: Market vs Without Fonitix
American restaurants miss 30-40% of calls during peak hours. Each missed call represents $25-40 in lost revenue. A single restaurant loses $1,500-2,500/month from unanswered phones alone.
Pricing & Service Plans
Competitive pricing at $249/month - 64-91% cheaper than alternatives (Slang.ai: $795/mo, PolyAI: $1,850/mo)
Project Overview
Fonitix AI is a SaaS platform that transforms how restaurants handle phone orders. Instead of paying $3,000/month for human operators or losing revenue from missed calls, restaurants deploy AI voice agents for just $249/month—a 92% cost reduction.
The Reality: American restaurants miss 30-40% of calls during peak hours. Each missed call represents $25-40 in lost revenue. A single restaurant loses $1,500-2,500/month from unanswered phones alone.
The Solution: Fonitix provides turnkey AI voice agents that answer every call instantly, take orders in natural conversation, process payments automatically, sync with existing POS systems, and work 24/7 without breaks or sick days.
First Client
Cafe Brie (Pompano Beach, FL) - Currently in beta testing
Target Market
1M+ independent restaurants in the US
Competitive Advantage
64-91% cheaper than alternatives
Problem Statement
The $3,000/Month Problem
- Hiring phone staff: $15-20/hour × 160 hours = $2,400-3,200/month
- Missed calls during peaks: $1,500-2,500/month in lost revenue
- Human errors: Wrong orders, miscommunication, language barriers
- Limited hours: No coverage during off-hours or breaks
- Scaling issues: Need more staff = multiply all costs
Real-World Impact
A typical independent restaurant handles 150-200 calls/week. At 30-40% miss rate during lunch/dinner rush, that's 60-80 missed opportunities weekly = $1,500-3,200 lost monthly.
Existing Solutions Fall Short
- • All-in-one platforms: $795-1,850/month (too expensive)
- • Traditional IVR: Frustrating UX, low conversion
- • Human-only: High costs, limited availability
Step 1: Menu Management
Real-time menu management system with category organization, stock management, and price updates. The AI agent uses this menu data to take accurate orders.
Step 2: AI Order Processing
Orders from AI assistant are processed in real-time, synced with POS systems, and tracked through the dashboard. Every call is captured and converted into revenue.
Technical Architecture
Frontend Stack
- • Next.js 14 - App Router
- • TypeScript
- • Tailwind CSS
- • shadcn/ui Components
- • Clerk Authentication
Backend & Database
- • Supabase - PostgreSQL
- • Real-time subscriptions
- • Next.js API Routes
- • Telnyx Telephony
- • OpenAI GPT-4
- • Stripe Billing
Key Integrations
- • Clover POS
- • Webhook System
- • OAuth 2.0
- • Telnyx Voice API
- • Edge Functions
Infrastructure Decisions
Telnyx over Twilio: 60% cost savings ($0.004 vs $0.0085/min)
Custom AI Stack: 82% cheaper than Telnyx AI Assistants
Supabase: Real-time updates without WebSocket complexity
Edge Functions: Low-latency webhook processing
Business Impact & Results
Current Status (Beta Phase)
Cafe Brie
First Client
Jan-Feb 2025
Testing Period
Pompano Beach, FL
Location
For Restaurants - Cost Analysis
Traditional Solution
Human Phone Staff: $2,400-3,200/month
Missed Call Revenue Loss: $1,500-2,500/month
Total: $3,900-5,700/month
Fonitix AI
Platform Subscription: $249/month
Per-Minute Usage (avg 50 hrs/mo): $12/month
Total: $261/month
ROI: $3,639-5,439 saved/month
93-95% cost reduction
Projected Business Metrics
Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Validation
- • 3-5 beta restaurants
- • $500-1,000 MRR
- • Gather feedback & iterate
Phase 2 (Months 4-6): Growth
- • 15-20 paying customers
- • $3,000-5,000 MRR
- • Proven unit economics
Phase 3 (Months 7-12): Scale
- • 50-100 restaurants
- • $12,000-25,000 MRR
- • Expand to new markets
Key Learnings & Challenges
Technical Challenges Solved
1. Telephony Provider Selection
Challenge: Initial Twilio setup was 2.1× more expensive. Solution: Migrated to Telnyx, saving 60% on per-minute costs. Result: Unit economics became profitable at $249/month price point.
2. Webhook Integration Complexity
Challenge: Telnyx webhooks weren't triggering consistently. Solution: Implemented diagnostic logging, discovered missing `call.initiated` endpoint. Result: 100% reliable call handling.
3. Menu Validation Critical
Challenge: AI was accepting orders for unavailable items. Solution: Built real-time menu sync with availability checks. Result: Zero invalid orders, improved customer satisfaction.
4. Cost Optimization Research
Challenge: Initial Telnyx AI Assistant stack cost $0.08/min (too expensive). Solution: Built custom OpenAI + Telnyx integration for $0.016/min. Result: 80% cost reduction.
Product & Business Learnings
Pivot from Multi-Industry to Restaurant-First
Initial vision: Voice agents for all industries. Reality: Need deep vertical focus for PMF. Decision: Master restaurants before expanding.
Automation is Non-Negotiable
Manual phone setup doesn't scale. Built fully automated provisioning flow. Every step from signup to first call must be seamless.
Beta Testing is Critical
Cafe Brie partnership validates real-world usage. Learning actual pain points vs assumed ones. Iterating based on genuine restaurant owner feedback.
Future Roadmap
Immediate Priorities (Q1 2025)
- Complete Cafe Brie beta testing
- Finalize Clover POS integration
- Automated phone number provisioning
- 🔄Acquire 3-5 additional beta restaurants
- 🔄Achieve $500-1,000 MRR validation
Short-term (Q2-Q3 2025)
- • Multi-location support for restaurant chains
- • Spanish language support (key for US market)
- • Advanced analytics dashboard
- • Self-service onboarding
- • WhatsApp/SMS order confirmation
Long-term Vision (2026)
- • Expand to healthcare (appointment booking)
- • Home services (plumbing, HVAC scheduling)
- • E-commerce voice shopping
- • White-label platform for POS providers
- • No-code AI agent builder
Conclusion
Fonitix AI started as an ambitious multi-industry platform and evolved into a laser-focused solution for restaurant phone automation. This pivot represents a crucial learning: solving one problem exceptionally well beats solving many problems adequately.
Current Reality
- Functional MVP with first paying customer
- Profitable unit economics validated
- 92% cheaper than traditional staffing
- Technical infrastructure proven
- 🔄Beta testing in progress with Cafe Brie
What I Built
- • Full-stack SaaS platform (Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase)
- • AI voice agent system (Telnyx + OpenAI GPT-4)
- • Real-time dashboard with menu management
- • Automated billing with Stripe
- • POS integration framework (Clover)
Next Steps
Currently validating product-market fit with Cafe Brie while preparing to onboard 3-5 additional restaurants. Goal: Achieve $1,000 MRR and prove repeatable customer acquisition by Q2 2026.