Skip to content

Yelp launches AI voice calls to check restaurant wait times

What happened

AI digest

On 20 October 2026, Yelp launched Check for Me: after a user enters party size and phone number on a restaurant page, an AI voice agent can call the restaurant on their behalf to ask about wait times and send the result back by text message. Reports the same day said the Yelp AI assistant now connects to OpenTable for in-app bookings, and can remember preferences from past conversations and show chat history from the past 30 days. For businesses, Yelp introduced Smart Lead Reply at $30 a month, which automatically replies to and qualifies potential customers. These features are now live; the reports did not disclose coverage, available regions or usage data since launch.

Written by AI from the reports · updated 4 h ago

Timeline

Follow the reports to see the event from each side.

Oct 20
  1. TechCrunch · AI
    Yelp can now call on your behalf to check wait times at a restaurant

    Yelp is embedding numerous new AI features into its app that can do everything from call to check on restaurant wait times to create personalized recommendations that remember your preferences.

Heat of this event

Current heat 8·Peak in the comparable range 9(Oct 20 22:00)·Change over 24 hours in the comparable range –

02.557.510Oct 2022:00Oct 2023:00Oct 2100:00Oct 2101:00

The trend compares only the same accounts observed without a break, so its range can be narrower than the current heat count. Move the pointer or tap the chart to see each hour; with a keyboard, use the left and right arrow keys.