If you run a restaurant, you know the drill. Every week, 30+ emails from suppliers about pricing, availability, and delivery schedules land in your inbox.
You read each one. You check your current prices. You type a reply. You hit send. Then you do it again. And again.
That's 3 hours per week you'll never get back. Here's how to get them back.
The specific pain
Supplier emails follow a predictable pattern:
- "Hi, just checking if you need to reorder chicken breast this week. Current price is $3.89/lb."
- "Heads up — tomato prices are going up next week. Want to lock in at $2.15/case?"
- "Your usual dairy order is ready. Confirm by Thursday?"
Each email needs a response. Each response requires checking your current inventory, comparing prices, and writing a reply.
It's not hard work. It's just repetitive, time-consuming work that pulls you away from running your restaurant.
What usually happens
Most restaurant owners handle supplier emails one of three ways:
- They do it themselves. 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes after lunch, 30 minutes before close. Every day.
- They delegate to a manager. Who then has less time for actual management.
- They ignore some emails. Which means missed deals, late orders, and frustrated suppliers.
None of these are good options.
How an AI agent handles it
An AI agent on Oxian does the following automatically:
- Reads the incoming email. Understands who it's from, what they're asking, and what product they're referencing.
- Pulls your current prices. Checks a Google Sheet you maintain with your target prices, preferred suppliers, and order history.
- Drafts a reply. Writes a professional response — accepting, negotiating, or declining — based on your rules.
- Waits for your approval. You see the draft, click approve, and it sends. One click instead of 5 minutes of typing.
The agent handles the reading, thinking, and writing. You just approve.
The setup: 2 minutes, no exaggeration
Here's the actual setup process:
Step 1: Go to the Oxian marketplace and find the Pricing Email Responder agent.
Step 2: Connect your Gmail account. One click, standard Google sign-in.
Step 3: Paste your price sheet. Copy from your existing spreadsheet, paste into the agent's configuration.
Done. The agent starts monitoring your inbox immediately.
No developer. No IT department. No training period. It works on the first email.
The cost vs. the savings
| Without agent | With agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Time spent on supplier emails | 3 hours/week | 10 minutes/week (approvals only) |
| Monthly time cost (at $50/hr) | $600 | $33 |
| Agent cost | $0 | $49/month |
| Net savings | — | $518/month |
You're paying $49/month to save $518/month. That's a 10.5x return.
Or think of it this way: you're buying back 2 hours and 50 minutes every week. That's time you can spend on menu planning, staff management, or actually being present in your restaurant.
What restaurant owners say
The most common reaction after the first week: "Why didn't I do this sooner?"
The second most common: "Can it handle [other task] too?"
(Usually yes. There are agents for reservation confirmations, review requests, and vendor payment tracking on the marketplace.)
Get started now
The Pricing Email Responder is one of the most popular agents on Oxian. It works with Gmail and Google Sheets — the tools you're already using.
Install the Pricing Email Responder on Oxian →
*Read next: 5 tasks your business should automate this month*