Kea now manages phone orders for the award-winning Detroit-style pizza chain, ensuring consistency in customer service across 23+ locations.
(RestaurantNews.com) Today Kea, the leading conversational AI for restaurants, has partnered with VIA 313, the cult-favorite Detroit-style pizzeria, to elevate its guest experience through voice automation. Now answering 100% of inbound calls, Kea’s AI takes orders on behalf of VIA 313 restaurants using a tone and script tailored to the brand, replicating its signature hometown hospitality at scale. The AI adoption comes on the heels of VIA 313’s $32.5 million capital raise, reflecting the brand’s investment in and commitment to operational excellence and guest satisfaction as it expands.
“No matter how big we grow, every community we serve deserves the same warm, attentive experience,” said Kiplan Welsch, President at Via 313. “Partnering with Kea gives us the confidence to scale without sacrificing service; it’s like having a super-reliable team member on every shift.”
As regional chains scale rapidly, they often face new operational hurdles, including high volumes of phone orders with limited front-of-house staff. When the phone is neglected, restaurants risk upsetting customers and losing revenue. Kea’s AI solution acts like an on-demand, virtual restaurant employee, ensuring every customer call is answered quickly, correctly, and with care. As a result, VIA 313 staff can focus on guests dining in, creating the nostalgic, family-style experience the pizza brand is known for.
Kea’s partnership with VIA 313 builds on its proven success with fast-growing brands like Hopdoddy and Blaze Pizza. Now Kea works with over 30 brands and drives millions in revenue for restaurants. With a 99.3% order accuracy rate, Kea consistently matches – if not exceeds – the performance of traditional phone interactions, minimizing the risk of human error. Kea integrates with over 11 leading POS systems–including Toast, Square, Clover, and Olo–enabling new restaurants to onboard in less than 1 hour.
“Pizza is one of the most call-heavy categories in the restaurant industry, with billions in sales coming through to-go orders,” remarked Adam Ahmad, Founder, and CEO of Kea. “There are over 40,000 independently owned pizzerias in the U.S., and until now, the kind of voice AI that boosts efficiency and offers great service was only accessible to big enterprise chains. We’re changing that, bringing cutting-edge tech to family-style operators like VIA 313 so they can not only survive but thrive.”
As regional and national pizza chains look for scalable ways to maintain top-tier service, voice AI is fast becoming the go-to solution. Kea offers a free 15-minute demo so you can try it before you buy. Check it out at: Kea.ai.
About Kea
Kea is a Voice AI-powered phone assistant built to supercharge restaurant operations. CEO Adam Ahmad founded Kea in 2018 and has since helped hundreds of independent and growing restaurant brands such as Blaze Pizza, Hopdoddy, and PINCHO. Integrating with over 11 POS systems, Kea is customizable and adaptive, with features including a menu analyzer, 24/7 answering, a dynamic FAQ, call reporting, and delivery. The company has powered millions of orders and has raised $33M from investors including Marbruck, Xfund, and Streamlined Ventures.
About VIA 313
Before Detroit-style pizza became a hit outside of the Motor City, trailblazers Brandon and Zane Hunt decided to bring their hometown pizza to Austin, Texas. Since 2011, they’ve built an Austin icon that locals and tourists flock to for genuine Detroit-style pizza. Via 313 currently operates 22 full-service restaurants and two permanently placed trailers throughout Texas and Utah, with several more locations in the pipeline. Via 313 was dubbed “one of the very best pizzas” by Food and Wine Magazine, named “Independent Pizzeria of the Year” by Pizza Today™ and recognized as one of the “Top 10 Pizzas in America” by Food Network. It also won “Best Gluten-Free Pizza in America” by USA Today. For more information, visit Via313.com or follow Via 313 on Instagram, Facebook or X.