OpenTable Debuts AI-Powered Concierge for Diners

Restaurant booking company OpenTable has introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant to make it easier for diners to get answers to common questions and help restaurants convert queries into bookings.

Called Concierge, this feature gives diners information about restaurants, such as suggesting what to order and guidance for dietary restrictions. The AI assistant is embedded in OpenTable’s mobile app and website; it is free for the public to use.

“Concierge solves a real need for restaurants and diners,” Sagar Mehta, chief technology officer at OpenTable, told PYMNTS. “We feel strongly AI can uplevel many aspects of the dining experience for both our audiences, including making it effortless to discover and book the right table and alleviating restaurant friction.”

According to OpenTable, 54% of Americans research a restaurant before booking, and spend an average of 21 minutes doing so. Also, 27% of Americans abandon reservations because it was “too difficult” to find online the information they wanted about the restaurant.

When diners contact restaurants, 46% want to know opening hours, 39% want menu information and 22% want to know the address.

Answering these usually recurring questions through Concierge on OpenTable frees up time for both diners and restaurants, Mehta said. Concierge is typically able to answer 80% of user questions.

According to a February PYMNTS Intelligence report, digital ordering and payment processes are crucial for businesses to remain competitive.

See more: How People Pay: Consumer Preference for Connected Technology

How Concierge works

When diners search for a restaurant on OpenTable, a purple bar with the words “Ask a question” appears at the bottom. Clicking it brings up a pop-up page where diners can ask their questions, such as “Is this restaurant kid-friendly?” Concierge will then answer the query.

In the future, Concierge will also be able to make bookings for diners.

Concierge draws on OpenTable’s internal data, including menus, verified diner reviews and descriptions from over 60,000 restaurants. It also incorporates AI capabilities through integrations with Perplexity and OpenAI application programming interfaces, such as for the enhanced search and chatbot capabilities.

Asked how Concierge can keep up-to-date with restaurant information and reviews, Mehta said: “One of the great things about working with restaurants early is we can get feedback and think through data sources, and ensure they provide up-to-date information.”

“What will happen over time is we, as an industry, will figure out how to validate sources of information so it gets better and better,” Mehta added. “As with any AI tool, Concierge is only as good as the information that’s fed into it.”

Mehta noted that OpenTable had collaborated with OpenAI in other ways, such as being a research partner to test OpenAI’s web-browsing AI agent, “Operator,” as part of the research preview. Here, the use case was to make one-time or recurring restaurant recommendations.

The CTO said OpenTable has a similar integration with Microsoft’s Copilot, which lets users interact with OpenTable through its AI tools. OpenTable is also partnering with Amazon’s Alexa+ to let users make bookings by voice. OpenTable is continuing to evaluate other AI integrations, Mehta said.

In May, Uber revealed more details about its partnership with OpenTable. The collaboration will add an OpenTable-powered “Dine Out” feature in Uber Eats’ app, allowing diners to book restaurant reservations. Uber One members will get priority access to the most sought-after tables in town.

Meanwhile, diners booking through the OpenTable app get a discounted Uber ride to the restaurant. Those with points on OpenTable’s loyalty program can use rewards toward Uber and Uber Eats. In certain markets, OpenTable VIPs can also get a free six-month Uber One membership subscription. The OpenTable-Uber service is launching in late 2025.

As for what’s next, OpenTable plans to build on Concierge’s capabilities by incorporating personalization based on previous queries and dining history.

“There’s also a world in which we can anticipate diner behavior, and for example, have Concierge proactively share recommendations for an upcoming birthday,” Mehta said.

Read more:

Applebee’s and IHOP to Deploy AI-Powered Tech Support and Personalization

How Hardee’s Largest Franchisee Uses AI to Serve Up Efficiency and Profits

Clover Debuts Point-of-Sale Offering for High-End Restaurants