Reservations platform OpenTable has launched an AI chatbot that can field customer questions about different restaurants before they book a table.
The new feature, called Concierge, is embedded within restaurant profiles. Customers can click a button that says “ask a question” to open a chat window and ask things like “Is this restaurant kid-friendly?” or “Are there gluten-free items on the menu?”
Concierge then uses data from OpenTable, including menus and reviews, to generate a response. It is powered by software from Perplexity and OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.
OpenTable says the bot will save customers time and will help restaurants capture more bookings by providing needed information fast. According to the company, 54% of Americans research a restaurant before booking and spend an average of 21 minutes doing so. And 27% have given up on a booking because they couldn't find the information they were looking for.
OpenTable has been aggressive about integrating AI into its business. In 2023, it made its data accessible to ChatGPT, which enabled users to ask the chatbot for restaurant recommendations. Responses included a link to book a table on OpenTable.
Concierge is just the latest in a line of AI-based search tools that are changing how customers discover restaurants online. Google’s AI Overview feature, for instance, now generates summaries in response to user queries. And more people are skipping Google altogether and asking ChatGPT to find a restaurant for them.
These tools are designed to make searching the web faster and easier. But AI's accuracy can still be an issue. OpenTable’s chatbot includes the following disclaimer: “Concierge is AI-powered and may include errors.”
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