Yelp Launches AI Agent to Call Restaurants

The new Check for Me feature uses artificial intelligence to contact restaurants and report real-time wait times to users.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of a dinner plate next to a telephone receiver, representing AI-automated restaurant service communication. — Yelp has introduced an AI-powered agent called Check for Me that automates telephone wait-time inquiries for restaurant diners in the U.S. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you trust an AI agent to call a business to handle your reservations or wait times?

Yelp has introduced a new AI-powered feature called Check for Me, which allows app users to input their party size and phone number for automated wait time inquiries. The AI agent performs the phone call to the restaurant and then texts the status directly to the user.

Why it matters

This release marks a significant automation of the traditional reservation and inquiry process, reducing the need for direct human interaction for simple administrative tasks. It builds upon Yelp's existing voice solutions and enterprise-facing tools to streamline communications between diners and restaurants.

Users can access their complete chat history within the app for the past 30 days. Additionally, the new Smart Lead Reply tool for business owners carries a subscription cost of $30 per month.

The players

Yelp

Yelp is a multinational corporation that operates an online platform for crowdsourced reviews and local business discovery.

OpenTable

OpenTable is a global online restaurant reservation service that is now integrating its platform with Yelp's AI assistant.

The details

Beyond the wait-time feature, Yelp has integrated its AI assistant with OpenTable and introduced a categorized list-creation tool for user bookmarks. Business owners can now configure their own AI agents using the Smart Lead Reply service to automate how they manage customer conversations.

Last year: Yelp debuted its initial voice solution for restaurants.
Past 30 days: Current scope for accessible user chat history.
Next month: Weekly personalized recommendations are set to launch.
Later in the year: Updates to the lists tab and maps view are scheduled for release.

The Tech Race

Yelp's release follows the industry pattern established by automated voice-agent technologies designed to bridge the gap between digital platforms and offline business operations. This move pits Yelp against other reservation platforms seeking to replace legacy manual phone inquiries with scalable software.

Users can now offload the manual task of calling restaurants to the app, potentially saving time on busy nights. Business owners who opt into the $30 monthly Smart Lead Reply service gain the ability to customize how their incoming customer inquiries are handled by AI.

The takeaway

Automated voice agents are increasingly becoming standard tools for consumer-facing apps to manage real-time updates. Users should monitor their chat logs within the app to ensure wait-time updates arrive promptly for their planned outings.

What happens next

Yelp is scheduled to launch weekly personalized recommendations next month, with a new interface for the lists tab and a revised map view expected later this year.