Zest AI Concierge Finds Restaurants and Books Tables by Text
Zest launches an AI restaurant concierge in text messages, using dining history to recommend venues, run group votes and book tables through major platforms.
Summary
Zest released a text-based AI restaurant concierge on Thursday, October 29, 2026, after beginning tests in September. Similar to Instinct and Poke, the agent answers at (212) 470-6067 using users’ and friends’ dining histories. It recommends restaurants by cuisine, craving, occasion, dietary restriction or neighborhood, supplies menus, Wi-Fi and crowding information, checks availability, and books through OpenTable, Resy and SevenRooms. In group chats, it blends participants’ tastes, runs in-thread votes and reserves a table without requiring another app.
Founded in November 2024, Zest raised $1.8 million in pre-seed funding from Alexis Ohanian at 776 and Steve Jang at Kindred Ventures, then launched its app earlier in 2026. The app connects credit cards through Plaid and uses only food and drink transactions to build personalized maps and lists. Tests produced fairly well-matched options based on time, party size, location and other conditions. CEO Mario Gomez-Hall delayed the concierge launch until booking was ready and now aims to grow beyond Zest’s initial thousands of users. Booking transactions are its first revenue line, food ordering is planned, and recommendations could later expand into businesses and shopping.
Positives
- The concierge recommends restaurants, checks availability and completes bookings within one text conversation.
- Group chats can combine participants’ tastes, hold in-thread votes and reserve the winning restaurant.
- Plaid data is limited to food and drink transactions when Zest builds personalized maps and recommendations.
- OpenTable, Resy and SevenRooms connections give users access to established reservation services.
- $1.8 million in pre-seed funding supports Zest’s effort to grow beyond its initial thousands of users.
Risks & concerns
- Finding open tables has been available in other apps for years, limiting the novelty of Zest’s core booking function.
- Tests found recommendations worked fairly well, but provided no quantitative accuracy or booking-success data.
- Food ordering remains forthcoming, leaving Zest’s second planned transaction revenue line unfinished.
- Expansion into broader business and shopping recommendations is only under consideration, with no timetable disclosed.
- Personalization requires credit card connections through Plaid, even though Zest says it uses only food and drink transactions.