Montana restaurant begs customers to stop using Google AI for (its fake) daily specials

A Montana restaurant is pleading with customers to stop using Google’s AI Overviews to check their daily specials after the AI repeatedly fabricated non-existent deals and menu items. Stefanina’s Wentzville has been flooded with angry customers demanding discounts the restaurant never offered, highlighting how AI hallucinations can directly harm small businesses.

What happened: Google’s AI Overviews has been generating false information about Stefanina’s Wentzville, creating fake specials and menu items that don’t exist.
• The AI told customers the restaurant was offering “a large pizza for the price of a small one,” among other fabricated deals.
• Restaurant owner Eva Gannon said the AI even invented entire menu items that weren’t real.
• Frustrated customers have been “yelling at employees” when the restaurant refuses to honor the fake AI-generated specials.

The restaurant’s response: Stefanina’s posted a desperate plea on Facebook asking customers to stop relying on Google AI for accurate information.
• “Please do not use Google AI to find out our specials. Please go on our Facebook page or our website,” the restaurant wrote.
• “Google AI is not accurate and is telling people specials that do not exist which is causing angry customers yelling at our employees.”
• The restaurant made clear: “We will not honor the Google AI specials.”

Why this matters: The incident illustrates how AI hallucinations—when large language models generate plausible-sounding but false information—can have real-world consequences for businesses.
• Google’s AI Overviews have previously been mocked for recommending putting glue on pizza and other bizarre suggestions.
• “As a small business, we can’t honor a Google AI special,” Gannon told local news station First Alert 4.

Broader impact: Stefanina’s isn’t the only business affected by Google’s AI errors.
• A Minnesota solar firm sued Google in June for defamation, claiming AI Overviews spread false information that the company was facing lawsuits for deceptive sales practices.
• The solar company said these AI-generated lies damaged their business reputation and operations.

The irony: Google continues aggressively promoting AI-powered search despite these accuracy issues.
• The company is running an entire ad campaign encouraging users to “Just Ask Google” before doing anything.
• Google recently announced its AI Mode can now help make restaurant reservations, expanding AI’s role in everyday decision-making.