US restaurants are using AI-generated food images for menus, takeaway and ads to cut photography costs. Customers often found the results unappetising, uncanny or even hostile: one San Francisco cafe took its AI sandwich signs down after online backlash and vandalism. One owner says AI ads are cost-effective and attract younger customers, while others call them a temporary fix. For a Thai shop, the practical point is to use real photos of your own food for anything customers judge on appearance, and to test any AI visuals before printing them.