Indian American entrepreneur Bhavik Patel has launched Tandem, an AI platform aimed at transforming restaurant operations in collaboration with Andrew Schwartz and chef Michael Schulson.
Indian American tech entrepreneur Bhavik Patel has reunited with Andrew Schwartz, co-founder of xtraCHEF, to launch Tandem, an innovative AI platform designed to revolutionize restaurant operations.
Joining them in this venture is noted chef and restaurateur Michael Schulson, who has come on board as a Founding Partner. Schulson brings decades of experience in the restaurant industry, which will directly influence Tandem’s product strategy and development.
Patel and Schwartz previously collaborated on xtraCHEF, a restaurant technology company that was acquired by Toast. With Tandem, they aim to leverage artificial intelligence to fundamentally rethink how technology can better support restaurant operators and their teams.
Based in Philadelphia, Tandem has successfully secured initial seed financing to expedite product development, expand its workforce, and support early deployments in restaurants. The company is already collaborating with operators across 100 restaurant locations through its pilot program, and it has a growing waitlist of additional restaurant groups eager to adopt the platform.
Instead of adding yet another dashboard or standalone application for restaurant teams to manage, Tandem is developing AI agents that seamlessly integrate with the systems restaurants already utilize. These agents are designed to assist operators in analyzing data, identifying areas that need attention, automating repetitive tasks, and taking action across various aspects of the business. Additionally, Tandem will serve as a collaborative workspace for human employees to communicate with their AI counterparts.
“Restaurants don’t need another system to log into or another dashboard to manage,” said Schwartz, who serves as Co-Founder and CEO of Tandem. “We believe AI gives us the opportunity to build technology that actually works alongside the operator — understanding what’s happening across the business, handling repetitive work, and helping teams take action.”
As Co-Founder and CPO/CTO, Patel is responsible for Tandem’s technology, AI, and engineering strategy. He previously held the role of CTO and Co-Founder at xtraCHEF, where he played a pivotal role in developing the technology platform that became part of Toast following the acquisition.
“AI gives us the ability to build systems that can understand context, reason across multiple sources of information, and help execute work,” Patel stated. “Our focus at Tandem is turning those capabilities into reliable, practical products that solve real problems for restaurant operators.”
Schulson’s involvement underscores Tandem’s commitment to building solutions in collaboration with restaurant operators rather than simply for them. Together, Schwartz, Patel, and Schulson combine their expertise in restaurant technology, product development, AI, and hands-on operational experience to create a comprehensive platform.
Tandem envisions applications for AI across nearly every facet of restaurant operations, including finance, accounting, labor management, purchasing, inventory control, marketing, guest engagement, and daily operational management.
The company’s strategy involves introducing AI agents focused on specific, high-value workflows while increasingly connecting these capabilities throughout the restaurant organization. Tandem is also working on integrations within the restaurant technology ecosystem, allowing its agents to collaborate with existing systems, thus eliminating the need for restaurants to overhaul their current technology stack.
As Tandem continues to develop its platform, it aims to empower restaurant operators with tools that enhance efficiency and improve overall operational effectiveness, ultimately transforming the dining experience for both staff and customers.
According to The American Bazaar, Tandem is poised to make a significant impact in the restaurant industry by harnessing the power of AI to address the unique challenges faced by operators today.