Special AI Operator Insights: Exploring Galley Assist and the Future of AI in Culinary Operations w/ Harris Brown
About the AI Product Expert
For this special AI-focused “Operator Insights” interview, we sat down with Harris Brown, a fractional AI product leader who partnered with Galley Solutions to bring Galley Assist–the AI interface to our CRP platform–to life. Assist is, quite simply, the intelligent backbone of modern culinary operations and Galley’s Culinary Resource Planning technology.
With a background in product leadership across multiple industries, Brown has spent recent years embedded in AI innovation, helping companies—from early stage to growth—translate strategy into action. His expertise lies in operationalizing AI in complex, data-rich environments, making him the perfect partner to help Galley unlock real-world applications for AI in foodservice.
The Backstory
Brown joined forces with Galley through Tribe AI to help define, develop, and deploy the first version of Galley Assist, with a focus on the AI Recipe Importer—a game-changing tool that automates the translation of unstructured recipes into Galley’s structured database.
As Brown explains it, foodservice is “operationally intensive” and filled with proprietary inputs—recipes, ingredients, vendors, preferences, compliance requirements. These are all ripe for structured automation and optimization using AI, which makes foodservice such an exciting space for Brown to play in.
The Conversation
Ian Christopher: You’ve worked with a number of companies across industries. What’s unique about foodservice from an AI perspective?
Harris Brown: Foodservice is an operationally complex and data-dense industry. There are so many inputs—inventory, vendors, kitchen workflows—that have to sync perfectly for a business to run smoothly. That’s where AI can shine: identifying patterns, streamlining processes, and surfacing insights that operators might not otherwise catch in real time.
IC: You helped us build the Galley Assist Recipe Importer. How would you describe what it does?
HB: At its core, it’s a recipe-translation engine. It lets chefs upload recipes in any format—PDFs, Excel sheets, even photos of recipe cards—and automatically parses that data into Galley’s structure. It extracts ingredients, units, prep steps, and more—then maps it all so the recipe is usable instantly. Soon, it’ll support bulk imports at scale, saving hours of manual data entry.
IC: We’ve also heard from users that it sparks creativity. What’s happening there?
HB: That’s one of the coolest parts. Galley Assist can also create new recipes based on conversational prompts. A chef can say, “Make me a vegan high-protein bowl,” and Galley will generate a structured recipe that the chef can then tweak. We saw one Galley employee generate a “brookie” recipe for his daughter on the fly, then send her a shareable QR code so she could make it on her own. It’s a perfect example of AI empowering creativity—not replacing it.
IC: You’ve also mentioned adaptive kitchens—what’s the vision there?
HB: Imagine a kitchen that uses AI to intelligently choreograph the entire workflow: sourcing, staffing, prep, and production—based on real-time constraints like inventory levels, space, labor, and more. AI could identify the optimal path through production, helping operators avoid costly missteps. It’s about surfacing the right insight at the right moment to prevent errors before they happen.
Key Takeaways
Start with Pain Points: Don’t chase AI for AI’s sake. Identify one internal, high-friction problem that costs time or money—and solve that first.
Stay Curious, But Be Skeptical: Keep an open mind, but don’t get caught up in the hype. Not every AI tool delivers meaningful value.
Focus Beats Flash: Skip the spray-and-pray approach. Small, focused use cases often have the biggest impact.
Empower the Creative: Use AI to speed up repetitive tasks, freeing up chefs and operators to do what they love—create.
AI Resources for Operators
Brown recommends:
Book: Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick – a practical, high-level introduction to AI’s real-world potential
Podcasts:
AI Daily Brief – 5 to 15 minute news updates and commentary
AI and I (by Every) – deep dives into real-world AI workflows and tools
Bottom Line
Galley Assist represents a pivotal shift in how culinary teams can interact with their data—and with the systems that power their operations. With tools such as the AI Recipe Importer, foodservice organizations can accelerate onboarding, reduce manual errors, and enable real-time collaboration at scale.
Brown said it best: “It’s about turning what used to take hours or days into something that takes seconds. That’s the power of this tech when applied the right way.”
Ready to see Galley Assist in action?
Request a demo to explore how AI is changing the game for foodservice.
#OperatorInsights #AIinFoodservice #GalleyAssist #CulinaryInnovation #AIProductDesign #FoodTech
