Zest, the restaurant discovery application that debuted earlier this year, is already envisioning a future where mobile applications are not the primary user interface. On Thursday, the startup introduced a new capability: a personalized AI-driven “restaurant concierge” that operates within your text messages, much like other well-known AI agents such as Instinct or Poke.
The introduction signifies a broader transformation in how startups are approaching AI, as conversational AI agents now handle tasks that previously necessitated users to launch dedicated mobile apps. For Zest, this means integrating its restaurant recommendations into text conversations, then allowing users to immediately proceed with booking a table.
“The agent itself is now the product,” explains Mario Gomez-Hall, Zest founder and CEO. “You simply text it, and it responds based on your past experiences and those of your friends. It doesn’t require weeks of conversation to understand you because it leverages where you’ve actually dined,” he elaborated.
Originally established in November 2024, with $1.8 million in pre-seed investment from Alexis Ohanian at 776 and Steve Jang at Kindred Ventures, the app’s distinguishing feature is its connection to users’ credit cards. This link tracks their actual dining habits, providing insights into their tastes and preferences. Utilizing this data, Zest can generate customized suggestions for new places to try, whether in their current city or for recommendations when traveling.
The credit card data utilized by Zest’s app is imported via the financial services provider Plaid, which is employed by banks and various fintech and budgeting apps. Zest states it focuses solely on transactions within the food and drink categories when crafting its personalized maps and lists.
The startup’s newest concept aims to resolve the enduring question — where should I dine? — from a fresh perspective. It will now deliver its recommendations directly within a text message thread and can leverage AI to perform actions such as checking availability and making reservations on your behalf through integrated services like OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms.
To access the service, users can text the Zest concierge at (212) 470-6067. An added advantage is Zest’s ability to be included in group chats, where it can merge the tastes of all participants to identify dining spots everyone will appreciate. Within these chats, it can also facilitate group decision-making with an in-thread voting feature and then book a table for the group without leaving the conversation.
Users are able to request recommendations from Zest based on various criteria, including cuisine type, specific cravings, occasion, dietary requirements, or neighborhood. They can also pose questions about restaurants, such as anticipated busyness, Wi-Fi availability, and more. Furthermore, you can ask Zest to send you the menu to aid your decision-making process.
In TechCrunch’s evaluations, the AI performed quite effectively, providing a selection of suggestions for new establishments tailored to our tastes that also met specific conditions, such as time of day, party size, location, and other factors. While the ability to find an open table has been available in other applications for years, there is a distinct convenience in being able to simply text back and forth about various options and have the system provide available booking times.
The company commenced testing of the concierge last month but opted to delay the official launch until the booking capabilities were fully integrated. Over time, the startup is contemplating expanding Zest beyond restaurants to offer recommendations for other businesses, shopping destinations, and more.
By making this transition to text-based interactions, Zest anticipates that the company can expand beyond its initial thousands of users and boost revenue.
“Booking and ordering represent the primary revenue streams. Zest currently books your table through OpenTable or Resy, with food ordering soon to follow, and there are transactional opportunities to participate in,” stated Gomez-Hall. “The reason this becomes compelling is that Zest learns your tastes more quickly than a general assistant, as it starts with your actual dining history instead of asking you questions. That value extends well beyond just dinner,” he added.