Key facts
- Zest's AI concierge can be added to group chats to find restaurants that suit multiple users' tastes.
- Users can ask the AI for recommendations based on cuisine, occasion, dietary restrictions, or neighborhood.
- The AI can check restaurant availability and make reservations through connected services like OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms.
- Zest uses credit card transaction data from Plaid, focusing on food and drink categories, to personalize recommendations.
- The AI concierge can be reached via text at (212) 470-6067.
Zest, a restaurant discovery app, has introduced a new AI-powered concierge that operates within text messages, aiming to streamline the process of finding and booking tables. Launched on Thursday, the feature leverages user credit card data, imported via Plaid, to understand dining preferences and offer tailored recommendations. The AI can also check availability and make reservations through platforms like OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms. Zest's founder and CEO, Mario Gomez-Hall, stated that the agent is now the core product, learning user tastes from past dining experiences rather than through lengthy conversations. The company, founded in November 2024 with $1.8 million in pre-seed funding, plans to expand its revenue streams through booking and ordering services.