Matt Bell, a veteran hospitality executive and managing director at motel and diner group Molly’s, urged hospitality companies to identify AI champions within their teams, arguing that grassroots adoption is more effective than “a top-down mandate.”
Bell made a comment prior to his appearance. caterer‘s free webinar, ‘Using AI to drive operational efficiency,’ was hosted in partnership with workforce management platform Vice.
Expert-led sessions will provide practical advice on how operators can use AI to improve operational efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and free up managers to focus on the guest experience and team performance.
Hospitality companies are increasingly looking to AI to improve efficiency, but adoption across the sector remains relatively low due to issues such as fragmented technology systems, limited staff training, and concerns about replacing the human touch. A recent Vice report found that 47% of hospitality workers are worried about losing their jobs to AI, the highest percentage of any sector surveyed including retail and healthcare.
sign up for caterer‘s: Improve operational efficiency with AI webinars
Bell, who joined Molly’s in early 2025 as managing director, replacing Darren Sweetland, said companies should avoid overly complex AI implementations.
“You don’t need an AI strategy document, a transformation program, or an expensive platform to get started,” he said. Instead, they encouraged operators to encourage curious employees to address day-to-day work frustrations.
“When it works, the story gets across the business faster than top-down mandates, and you can build from there.”
He added: “If you can give them one or two concrete things to try next month and people go away less intimidated, that’s a win. Find motivated people, give them real problems, and make the results compelling.”
Mollie’s unique approach focuses on using AI behind the scenes to improve operations, rather than replacing guest-facing services.
The company has developed four automated workflows within its Apaleo property management system. It coordinates online travel agency bookings, corrects agency and corporate booking data, and resolves data quality issues. Over 13,000 reservations were processed through automation, saving approximately 500 hours of manual administration time.
The group also uses Flyr to optimize pricing and revenue decisions, while Tenzo analyzes sales and operational data to identify operational priorities. Our in-house AI chatbot Mollie handles routine IT queries and helps employees feel confident using AI in their daily work.
The B Corp accredited motel and diner business won the Best Use of Technology award in Cateys 2022 and Hotel Cateys Talent Team of the Year 2024 and operates locations in Bristol, Oxfordshire and Manchester.
Held on Tuesday, July 21st from 10am to 11am, Mr Bell will be joined by Harry Wales, Deputy Sales Manager and Workforce Management Strategist. sign up for catererThe webinar on Improving operational efficiency with AI, hosted in partnership with workforce management platform Vice, will hear more from Bell and Wales.
sign up for caterer‘s: Improve operational efficiency with AI webinars
