Restaurant discovery startup Zest has introduced an artificial intelligence-powered concierge that allows users to find restaurants, receive personalised recommendations and book tables through text messages, without opening a separate mobile application.
Launched on October 29, the service enables users to interact with an AI agent through a messaging conversation. The system can recommend dining options based on individual preferences, check restaurant availability and facilitate reservations through platforms including OpenTable, Resy and SevenRooms.
The feature also supports group conversations, allowing friends to collectively decide where to eat. Users can add the AI concierge to a group chat, where it considers participants' dining preferences, suggests suitable restaurants and enables voting before proceeding with a reservation.
Recommendations can be tailored according to cuisine, dietary restrictions, location, occasion and specific food preferences. Users can also request restaurant menus and information about facilities, including Wi-Fi availability.
Zest's personalisation system draws on customers' previous dining activity. The company's existing application allows users to connect their credit cards through financial technology provider Plaid, enabling the platform to identify restaurant and food-related transactions.
According to the company, only transactions associated with food and beverages are used to develop personalised restaurant recommendations and dining lists.
The approach is intended to reduce the need for users to repeatedly explain their preferences when interacting with the AI assistant.
Founded in November 2024, Zest secured $1.8 million in pre-seed funding from investors including Alexis Ohanian's 776 and Steve Jang's Kindred Ventures. The company launched its restaurant discovery application earlier in 2026.
Zest founder and Chief Executive Officer Mario Gomez-Hall said the company sees conversational AI as an alternative to conventional application-based interactions, particularly for services involving recommendations and transactions.
The startup began testing its messaging concierge in September but delayed its public introduction until restaurant booking capabilities were integrated.
The company is also exploring potential revenue opportunities through reservations and future food-ordering transactions. While restaurant bookings are currently supported, food ordering remains under development.
Zest has indicated that it may eventually extend its AI recommendation technology beyond restaurants to other consumer categories, including shopping and local businesses. However, no specific expansion timeline has been announced.
The launch comes as technology companies increasingly introduce AI agents capable of completing tasks rather than solely providing information.
For restaurant businesses, such systems could introduce another channel for customer discovery and reservations. For consumers, Zest's service combines restaurant recommendations, group decision-making and booking within a single messaging conversation.
The company's next challenge will be expanding adoption beyond its existing user base while developing sustainable revenue from AI-assisted transactions.
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