TLDR: OpenTable has launched ‘Concierge,’ a new generative AI-powered assistant designed to provide diners with instant insights for over 60,000 restaurants worldwide. This innovation aims to streamline the dining discovery and booking process by answering common questions and reducing the time diners spend on research, ultimately benefiting both users and restaurants.
SAN FRANCISCO – OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant technology, announced today the debut of ‘Concierge,’ a groundbreaking generative AI-powered assistant. This new feature is integrated across OpenTable’s extensive network of more than 60,000 global restaurants, aiming to revolutionize how diners discover and book their next meal.
The ‘Concierge’ assistant is designed to provide diners with instant, intelligent insights, acting as a knowledgeable friend who has already done the research. It can assist with a wide range of inquiries, from helping diners find directions to a restaurant and suggesting what to order, to offering a sense of the overall dining experience, including guidance for dietary preferences or restrictions. The assistant is embedded directly within each restaurant profile on the OpenTable platform, with future plans to enable it to book reservations on behalf of diners.
The launch of Concierge directly addresses significant pain points identified in new consumer research conducted by OpenTable. The research revealed that 54% of Americans typically research a restaurant before booking, spending an average of 21 minutes on this process. Furthermore, a notable 27% of Americans have decided against booking a restaurant because finding the necessary information online proved too difficult, while 17% opted not to book due to an inability to find required details without calling the establishment. Diners frequently seek information on opening hours (46%), menu items (39%), and restaurant addresses (22%). By providing easy access to these answers within the booking platform, Concierge aims to save time for both diners and restaurants, potentially recovering lost revenue for eateries.
Sagar Mehta, CTO of OpenTable, emphasized the benefits, stating, “Concierge makes that effortless. For restaurants, this may help turn browsers into bookers and alleviate the amount of time spent fielding questions that diners can now answer on their own.” He further added, “For restaurants, OpenTable’s commitment to AI can help fill seats and drive meaningful efficiencies for routine tasks; for diners, AI meets them where they are, whether researching or booking, and making the overall experience much more frictionless.”
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The technology underpinning Concierge is a hybrid approach, leveraging OpenTable’s comprehensive restaurant data, including menus, reviews, and descriptions, in conjunction with Perplexity and OpenAI APIs. This strategic integration underscores OpenTable’s deepened commitment to AI-powered innovation through partnerships and proprietary tools. The company’s broader investment in AI also includes collaborations with tech giants such as Microsoft Copilot, Amazon Alexa+, Slang AI, and PolyAI, further solidifying its position in the restaurant technology market.
