1. Apps Covered by This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all software published by ALSTIG INC, including:

• The Restaurant Consultant — operations consulting platform (iPhone, iPad, web)
• VendorWatch — vendor invoice scanning (iOS)
• MenuCraft — menu design and costing (iOS)
• MyCookbook — recipe management (iOS)
• ChefScale — recipe scaling and unit conversion (iOS)
• Review Responder — AI review response drafting (iOS)

Not all sections of this Policy apply to every App. Where a data practice is specific to one App, the App is named explicitly. Apps that store data entirely on your device do not transmit that data to ALSTIG servers except as described below.

2. Information We Collect

The information each App collects depends on its features. Broadly, ALSTIG Apps may collect:

• Account Information — for Apps that require accounts (The Restaurant Consultant), we collect your name, email address, and any profile information you provide when signing in. Apps that operate without accounts (VendorWatch, MyCookbook, ChefScale, MenuCraft) do not collect account information.
• Business and Operational Data — restaurant name, role, menu items, recipes, vendor names, invoice data, pricing history, and other operational content you provide or create inside the Apps.
• Invoice and Document Images — when you scan invoices in VendorWatch or import menu photos in MenuCraft, those images are transmitted to our AI processing provider for text extraction and discarded after processing (see Section 4).
• Social Media and Review Platform Access — when you connect Facebook, Instagram, Google Business Profile, or Yelp in The Restaurant Consultant or Review Responder, we store only the access tokens and permissions necessary to post content or retrieve reviews on your behalf. Access tokens are encrypted before storage.
• Subscription Status — for Apps with auto-renewable subscriptions, we receive anonymous subscription identifiers from Apple and RevenueCat to determine whether your subscription is active. We do not receive your payment information.
• Usage Data — anonymized information about how you interact with the Apps, used to improve performance and diagnose errors.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To provide and improve the ALSTIG Apps and their features
• To process invoices, menus, recipes, and reviews using AI services at your direction
• To post content to your connected social media or review accounts at your direction
• To personalize your experience and provide relevant recommendations
• To communicate with you about your account, subscription, or the Apps
• To diagnose errors and improve reliability
• To verify subscription status for premium features

We do not use your data to train AI models. We do not sell your personal information.

4. AI Processing and Third-Party AI Providers

Several ALSTIG Apps use third-party artificial intelligence providers to deliver features such as content generation, document OCR, menu import, and review drafting. When you use these features, relevant data (such as invoice images, menu photos, review text, or your questions) is sent to the AI provider for processing.

AI Providers We Use

• Anthropic (Claude) — used by VendorWatch (invoice OCR via the Claude Haiku vision API), MenuCraft (menu descriptions, menu import OCR), Review Responder (review response drafting), and MyCookbook (recipe parsing where applicable). See anthropic.com/privacy.
• OpenAI (GPT) — used by The Restaurant Consultant for consulting advice, OCR text extraction, and other AI-assisted content. See openai.com/policies/privacy-policy.

How AI Processing Works

• Data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections.
• Images and text are processed in real time and are not stored on ALSTIG's servers beyond the time needed for processing.
• AI providers process data in accordance with their API data usage policies. Neither Anthropic nor OpenAI uses API inputs to train their models by default.
• We do not use your data to train AI models.

AI-generated content is provided as suggestions only. You are solely responsible for reviewing and acting on any AI-generated output. ALSTIG INC is not responsible for the accuracy or outcomes of AI-generated content.

5. Local Storage (On-Device Data)

Several ALSTIG Apps store your data entirely on your device using SQLite or similar local storage:

• VendorWatch — vendor names, invoices, line items, price history, and alert settings
• MyCookbook — recipes, ingredients, and scaling history
• ChefScale — recipes and unit conversion data
• MenuCraft — menus, dishes, costing, and templates

Local data never leaves your device except when sent to an AI provider for processing (as described in Section 4) or when you explicitly export it. Removing the App from your device deletes all locally stored data for that App.

6. Camera and Photo Access

Certain Apps request camera or photo library access to allow you to scan invoices (VendorWatch), capture menus (MenuCraft), or attach photos to recipes (MyCookbook, ChefScale). Photos are processed for the feature you invoked and are not stored on ALSTIG servers. Photos may be sent to our AI processing provider (see Section 4) and are discarded after processing.

7. Subscription and Payment Information

Apps with auto-renewable subscriptions (VendorWatch, MenuCraft, and others where applicable) process all payments entirely through Apple's App Store. We do not collect or have access to your payment information. We use RevenueCat to manage subscription state and receive only anonymous subscriber identifiers. For information about how Apple handles your payment data, see apple.com/legal/privacy. For information about RevenueCat, see revenuecat.com/privacy.

8. Social Media and Review Platform Integrations

When you connect a social media account (Facebook, Instagram) or review platform (Google Business Profile, Yelp) in an ALSTIG App, we request only the permissions necessary to:

• View your pages or business profiles
• Post content on your behalf, at your direction
• Retrieve reviews for drafting responses (Review Responder)
• Access basic profile information to identify your accounts

You can disconnect these accounts at any time through the App's account settings. When you disconnect, we immediately delete the stored access tokens. Access tokens are encrypted using AES-256-GCM encryption before storage.

9. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data. Data transmitted to third-party services (Anthropic, OpenAI, RevenueCat, Apple) is sent over encrypted HTTPS connections. Social media and review platform access tokens are encrypted before storage. We recommend using a strong passcode or biometric lock on your device to protect locally stored data.

10. Text Messages (SMS)

The Restaurant Consultant sends reservation text messages to guests who book a table through one of our booking pages and who tick the consent box on that page. Consent is express, the box is never pre-ticked, and consent is not a condition of booking a table — a guest who leaves it unticked still gets their reservation and simply is not texted.

• What we send: transactional messages about that specific booking only — a confirmation when it is made, a reminder before the seating time, a note if a waitlisted table opens, and a confirmation if the booking is changed or cancelled. We do not send marketing or promotional texts.
• How often: up to 2 messages per booking.
• Opting out: reply STOP to any message to stop them immediately. Reply HELP for help. Message and data rates may apply.
• Who sends them: ALSTIG INC, trading as The Restaurant Consultant, using Twilio as our messaging provider.

We do not sell, rent, or share mobile phone numbers or SMS consent with third parties for marketing purposes, and mobile opt-in data is never shared with anyone for their own marketing. A phone number given for a reservation is used to service that reservation and is passed only to our messaging provider in order to deliver the message.

11. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes. We share data only when:

• You direct us to post content or retrieve data from a connected third-party account
• You use an AI-powered feature and the relevant data is sent to the AI provider (Anthropic or OpenAI) for processing
• Required by law or to protect our legal rights
• With service providers who assist in operating the Apps (under strict confidentiality agreements)

12. Data Retention and Deletion

For Apps that store data locally, you can delete all data by removing the App from your device. For Apps with cloud-synced or account-based data (The Restaurant Consultant), we retain data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account or disconnect a social media integration, we delete the associated data within 30 days. Certain data may be retained longer where required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

13. Children's Privacy

The ALSTIG Apps are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information through any ALSTIG App, please contact us at support@alstiginc.com and we will take steps to delete such information.

14. Your Rights (CCPA / GDPR)

We respect your privacy rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You have the right to:

• Access — request details about what personal data we process
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Deletion — request deletion of your personal data and account. You can also delete all local App data by removing the App from your device.
• Portability — receive your data in a portable format
• Opt-out of sale — we do not sell your personal information to third parties
• Non-discrimination — exercising your rights will not affect the service you receive

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@alstiginc.com. We will respond within 30 days (CCPA) or without undue delay and no later than one month (GDPR).

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Effective Date" at the top. Your continued use of the ALSTIG Apps after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at:

ALSTIG INC
support@alstiginc.com
https://restaurantai.consulting