Zest’s AI restaurant concierge books tables over text

Zest introduced a personal AI-powered “restaurant concierge” that works inside text messages. The agent recommends restaurants, checks availability, and can make reservations through connected services including OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms. The move puts a core dining-planning workflow inside a conversation instead of requiring users to open a standalone app.

Zest can be added to a group chat, where it blends everyone’s tastes to suggest places the group may like. It can also run an in-thread vote to settle indecision and then book a table without leaving the conversation. Users can ask for recommendations by cuisine, craving, occasion, dietary restrictions, or neighborhood, and can ask for details such as menus, Wi-Fi, or how busy a restaurant may be.

Zest’s original app connects to users’ credit cards to understand where they actually eat, using that history to personalize recommendations. The company says the credit card data is imported via Plaid and that it focuses on food and drink transactions when building personalized maps and lists. That gives the text-based agent a starting point based on past dining behavior rather than only asking preference questions.

Zest was founded in November 2024 and had $1.8 million in pre-seed backing from Alexis Ohanian at 776 and Steve Jang at Kindred Ventures. TechCrunch reports the company sees booking and ordering as its first revenue lines, with food ordering planned after reservations. Zest is also considering expanding beyond restaurants into recommendations for businesses, shopping, and more.