Yelp can now call on your behalf to check wait times at a restaurant

Introduction

Yelp is rolling out a fresh voice‑enabled feature called Check for Me that lets the app’s AI assistant place a call to a restaurant on your behalf, retrieve the current wait time, and text the result back to you. This addition builds on Yelp’s recent push into conversational AI, aiming to streamline the dining‑out decision process while keeping users inside the Yelp ecosystem.

How “Check for Me” Works

1. Find a restaurant – Open a restaurant’s page in the Yelp app.
2. Enter details – Input your party size and a phone number where you’d like to receive the update.
3. AI makes the call – An automated voice agent dials the restaurant, asks for the wait time, and records the response.
4. Text notification – The wait‑time information is sent via SMS to the number you provided, letting you decide whether to head out.

The feature appears as a button on each restaurant listing, making it a one‑tap action. By handling the call for you, Yelp reduces the friction of checking wait times manually, especially during peak dining hours.

Expanded AI Assistant Capabilities

Yelp isn’t stopping at wait‑time checks. The company is simultaneously upgrading its broader AI assistant:

• OpenTable integration – Users can now book tables directly from the chat interface without leaving the app.
• Personalization memory – The assistant remembers preferences you’ve mentioned in prior conversations, offering more tailored suggestions.
• Chat history – A 30‑day conversation log is now viewable, with a full‑history feature slated for later.
• Custom reminders – You can ask the bot to send you weekend‑activity suggestions every Friday.
• List building – Two starter lists—Been Here and Want to Go—let you organize restaurants, filter by location or cuisine, add notes, and share with friends. Weekly personalized recommendations based on these lists will roll out next month.

Business‑Facing AI Tools

For merchants, Yelp is introducing Smart Lead Reply, a paid AI service ($30 / month) that can automatically respond to inbound customer messages and qualify leads according to parameters set by the business owner. This mirrors similar AI‑driven customer‑support offerings from competitors like Meta, aiming to help small businesses handle inquiries more efficiently.

Practical Takeaways

• For diners: If you’re juggling multiple restaurant options, the new voice call feature saves you the time of calling each place yourself. Simply set your party size, wait for a text, and decide on the fly.
• For businesses: Leveraging Smart Lead Reply can free up staff to focus on in‑restaurant service while ensuring potential customers receive prompt, consistent replies.
• For the platform: By keeping the entire interaction—search, wait‑time check, booking, and follow‑up—within Yelp, the company strengthens user engagement and opens new revenue streams through AI‑powered services.

Conclusion

Yelp’s Check for Me feature marks a notable step toward a more conversational, hands‑free dining experience. Coupled with broader AI enhancements for both consumers and merchants, the update positions Yelp as a more integrated hub for restaurant discovery, reservation, and post‑visit engagement. As voice AI continues to mature, features like these could become standard expectations for any local‑search platform.