# Zest launches AI restaurant concierge that books tables over text

published: 2026-10-30T23:05:35.594Z
topic: email
source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/30/zests-new-ai-agent-finds-restaurants-and-books-reservations-over-text/
url: https://aiagentnews.io/stories/zest-launches-ai-restaurant-concierge-that-books-tables-over-text

Zest, the restaurant discovery app, has added a restaurant concierge that users can reach by text message and that can book reservations. The agent also works in group chats, where it can gather preferences, run an in-thread vote and book a table for the group.

Zest, which launched earlier this year, has introduced a concierge that lives in text messages. Users text the agent at a listed phone number to get recommendations based on cuisine, occasion, dietary restrictions or neighborhood, and to ask questions such as how busy a restaurant is or whether it has Wi-Fi. The concierge can also send a restaurant's menu.

The agent checks availability and makes reservations through connected services including OpenTable, Resy and SevenRooms. Zest can be added to a group chat, where it blends members' tastes, runs a voting feature to settle the choice and books the table without leaving the thread.

Zest's personalization draws on credit card transactions imported through Plaid, using only food and drink purchases. The company began testing the concierge last month and held the launch until booking was ready. Founder and CEO Mario Gomez-Hall says booking and food ordering are the first revenue lines, with ordering still to come.

## Why it matters if you build agents

Developers building agents for consumer booking can look at text messaging as an interface that handles recommendations, availability checks and reservations in one thread. The booking flow relies on OpenTable, Resy and SevenRooms, so those integrations are the parts to examine. Zest's taste profile depends on bank transaction data from Plaid, which brings its own consent and data handling questions.