Yelp is turning your phone into a personal restaurant concierge with a new AI feature that calls restaurants, checks wait times, and texts you the answer before you head out. Whether you’re planning Sunday brunch, organizing a birthday dinner, or trying to find somewhere to eat on a busy Saturday night, the company wants to take some of the work off your plate.
The new feature, called “Check for Me,” is part of Yelp’s latest artificial intelligence upgrades, announced Tuesday, October 20. Instead of searching for a restaurant’s phone number and waiting for someone to answer, users will be able to have a Yelp AI agent handle the conversation.
According to Yelp’s official announcement, the process is simple. Users select “Check wait time now” on an eligible restaurant page, enter their party size and phone number, and let the AI assistant make the call. Once the restaurant provides its estimated wait time, Yelp sends that information directly to the user’s phone through a text message.
That means you could find out whether your favorite brunch spot has a 45-minute wait without calling the restaurant yourself. For anyone coordinating dinner plans with a group of friends, the feature could make choosing a location a whole lot easier.
However, the Yelp AI agent won’t be available everywhere immediately. The company says “Check for Me” will begin rolling out over the coming months on eligible restaurant pages and through Yelp Assistant in the United States for iOS users.
The development is part of a larger movement toward AI assistants that handle everyday tasks for consumers. Other AI platforms have introduced agents capable of contacting businesses for customer service and appointment scheduling.
Yelp already introduced voice technology designed to answer calls for restaurants and other businesses. Its latest update brings that technology to customers, allowing an AI assistant to make calls on their behalf.
There is also the possibility that Yelp’s AI agent could eventually communicate with another AI system answering a restaurant’s phone. TechCrunch noted that conversations between automated assistants could create communication problems, particularly if the systems struggle to understand one another.
Beyond making phone calls, Yelp is expanding its restaurant reservation capabilities through an integration with OpenTable.
According to Yelp, its upgraded assistant now allows iOS users to discover restaurants and book reservations at tens of thousands of participating locations without leaving the app. Users can also join a Yelp Waitlist through the assistant and receive updates when their table is ready.
The company is also making its assistant more personalized. Yelp says the technology will remember information from previous conversations, consider restaurant reviews, and factor in current weather conditions when recommending places to visit.
TechCrunch reports that users can currently access their chat history from the previous 30 days, with access to their complete conversation history expected in the future.
For example, someone who regularly searches for seafood restaurants, rooftop dining, or romantic date night locations could receive recommendations informed by those previous conversations instead of starting over with every search.
Yelp is introducing customizable reminders through its “Keep Me Posted” feature. Users can ask the assistant to send recommendations on a recurring schedule, including weekly date night suggestions or weekend activities.
The company is also introducing “My Lists,” which allows users to organize their favorite businesses and places they want to visit. The feature includes “Been Here” and “Want to Go” lists, making it easier to keep track of restaurants, lounges, and other local spots.
Users can organize lists by location, cuisine, and business category, while also adding notes, ranking destinations, and sharing recommendations with friends.
Starting in November, Yelp plans to introduce weekly personalized recommendations based on saved locations and user rankings. Additional changes to its lists experience, including a redesigned interface and map functionality, are also planned.
Restaurants aren’t the only businesses receiving new AI tools.
Yelp is launching “Smart Lead Reply,” a paid service that automatically responds to potential customers and helps business owners manage incoming inquiries. According to the company’s announcement, the service will cost $30 per month and begin rolling out in November.
The AI tool can answer questions, collect project information, and help determine whether a potential customer is a good match for a business. Owners can customize responses using their pricing, promotional offers, and scheduling information.
Yelp says the service will initially target eligible professionals, including plumbers, electricians, movers, cleaners, and contractors.