Zest Launches AI-Powered Restaurant Concierge That Books Reservations via Text

Image: Image Credits:Zest · Source

Zest introduces a new AI conversational agent accessible through text messages that recommends restaurants based on users’ credit card dining history and books reservations, even accommodating group preferences and voting within chats.

Zest, a restaurant discovery app launched in early 2026, has unveiled an innovative AI-driven restaurant concierge that operates entirely within text messaging. This new feature transforms the dining decision process by providing personalized restaurant recommendations and booking capabilities directly in users’ message threads, eliminating the need to open a separate app.

The startup’s founder and CEO, Mario Gomez-Hall, explained that the AI concierge leverages users’ actual dining history, linked via credit card transaction data imported through Plaid, focusing exclusively on food and drink purchases. This approach allows the AI to instantly understand individual tastes without extensive prior interaction, offering tailored suggestions whether users are at home or traveling.

Users interact with the concierge by texting a dedicated number, (212) 470-6067. The concierge can be added to group chats where it aggregates all participants’ tastes to suggest dining options everyone will enjoy. It includes an in-thread voting mechanism to resolve indecision and can finalize bookings through integrations with popular reservation platforms such as OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms.

Beyond basic recommendations, Zest’s AI can answer queries about restaurant details like busyness, Wi-Fi availability, or dietary accommodations and even provide menus to aid decision-making. Early TechCrunch testing found the AI effective in meeting specific criteria like time, party size, and location while simplifying the booking process through conversational exchanges.

The company delayed the feature’s public launch to integrate reservation functionality, which it views as a primary revenue stream along with future plans for food ordering. Zest also envisions expanding beyond restaurants to cover other business and shopping recommendations.

By embedding the service into text messaging, Zest aims to scale from its initial user base and create new monetization opportunities. Gomez-Hall noted that starting from users’ actual dining patterns enables faster and more accurate taste profiling than general AI assistants, offering valuable potential beyond just dining experiences.

Founded in November 2024 with $1.8 million pre-seed funding from investors including Alexis Ohanian and Steve Jang, Zest represents a shift in how AI can be integrated into everyday communication, simplifying group decisions and personalized discovery within familiar interfaces.