June 09, 2025

Turning Busy Phones into Business Boosters with AI

22 minutes

Maria Zhang, co-founder and CEO of Palona AI, is on a mission to humanize technology for restaurants. With experience from leading roles at Tinder, Instagram, and Meta, Zhang now focuses on hospitality. Palona AI’s voice technology answers calls, takes orders, and even replicates the owner’s voice, ensuring every guest interaction feels personal. At Cali BBQ, this means customers hear a warm, familiar voice every time they call, even during busy hours. Zhang’s approach—combining cutting-edge AI with a deep respect for hospitality—helps restaurants scale service without losing their soul. Palona AI is more than tech; it’s a hospitality partner.

Interview Takeaways:

Humanizing Technology with Voice AI – Maria Zhang understands that in hospitality, every call is an opportunity to connect with a guest. Palona AI, through its innovative voice technology, allows restaurants to greet every caller with warmth and authenticity, even replicating the owner’s voice. At Cali BBQ, this means customers always feel heard, even when staff is busy.

Scaling Service Without Losing Soul – Staffing challenges and rising costs make it tough for restaurants to handle high call volumes without compromising service. Palona AI solves this by managing thousands of calls simultaneously, all while sounding like a real person who genuinely cares. For Maria, this isn’t just about automation; it’s about preserving hospitality in every interaction.

Tech That Actually Listens – Unlike call centers that often lack local knowledge, Palona AI is trained on real conversations and even uses recordings of the owner’s voice, making every call feel personal. Maria’s approach ensures that AI meets guests where they are—answering questions, taking orders, and even upselling—while still reflecting the restaurant’s unique brand.

Episode Links:

Maria Zhang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariarenhuizhang/

Palona AI Online: https://palona.ai/

Palona AI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/palona-ai/

Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

Cali BBQ: https://calibbq.media/

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