JS Barnett's Whiskey House: 5X Foot Traffic

The Problem

JS Barnett's Whiskey House is a craft whiskey destination in Waco, Texas. Great product. Great location. But foot traffic was inconsistent. Weeknights were dead. Private event inquiries came in by phone and voicemail — and most went unanswered during busy service hours. The team was too focused on the floor to handle the phone.

What Kova Labs Built

• AI Phone Agent (VoiceDesk AI) — answers every call, handles reservation questions, captures event inquiries (party size, date, budget, occasion), and texts confirmations.
• AI Lead Follow-Up — instant text + email follow-up on every event inquiry. No lead goes cold.
• Review Generation — automated review requests after every visit. Google rating went from 4.2 to 4.8 in 90 days.
• Event Promotion Engine — weekly social posts, email blasts, and targeted outreach for whiskey tastings, live music, and private dining.

The Results

Within 30 days, foot traffic increased 5X. Private event inquiries jumped 340%. The AI phone agent handled 100+ calls per week — calls that previously went to voicemail or were answered by a distracted host. The owner estimates the AI systems recover $15,000/month in previously lost revenue.

“I used to lose 3 event inquiries a week to voicemail. Now every single one gets captured and followed up on automatically. The phone agent paid for itself in the first week.”