Zest now lets you text an AI concierge to choose a restaurant and book a table. It works in group chats too, but it learns your taste from your card purchases.
Zest, a restaurant discovery app, has launched an AI concierge you reach by text message. Send it a note at (212) 470-6067 and it suggests places to eat, checks open times and books the table. You can also add it to a group chat, where it helps everyone settle on one spot.
You can ask for ideas by cuisine, craving, occasion, dietary restrictions or neighborhood. You can also ask practical questions, such as how busy a place may be or whether it has Wi-Fi, and have it send a menu. When you pick a spot, it books through OpenTable, Resy or SevenRooms.
In a group thread, Zest blends everyone's tastes to find places the whole group should like. It can also run a vote inside the conversation, then book for the group without anyone leaving the chat. TechCrunch tested it and said it worked fairly well, with suggestions matched to its tastes and to details like time of day, party size and location.
Zest links to your credit card to see where you actually eat out. The card data comes in through Plaid, a financial company used by banks and other money apps. Zest says it looks only at food and drink purchases. CEO Mario Gomez-Hall says this lets the agent start from where you have been, instead of needing weeks of chat to learn you.
The convenience comes with a cost in personal information. Better suggestions depend on Zest reading your restaurant and bar spending. Zest says it limits itself to food and drink, but you are still handing over a record of your dining habits. Weigh that before connecting a card.
The material does not say what the concierge costs or whether it is free. Zest says booking and ordering will be its first ways to make money, with food ordering coming later. The company, founded in November 2024, has thousands of users and raised $1.8 million in pre-seed funding. It began testing the concierge last month and held the launch until booking was ready. It is also considering moving beyond restaurants to businesses and shopping.
Zest's text concierge can pick and book dinner for a group, but it learns your taste from your food and drink card purchases, so decide if that trade suits you.
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