Zest’s new AI agent finds restaurants and books reservations over text

Zest, a restaurant discovery app that launched earlier this year, introduced a personal AI-powered "restaurant concierge" that operates via text messages and can check availability and book tables through services like OpenTable, Resy, and SevenRooms. Users text the concierge at (212) 470-6067, and it can be added to group chats to blend everyone's tastes, settle indecision with in-thread voting, and book a table for the group. Zest, founded in November 2024 with $1.8 million in pre-seed backing, links to users' credit cards via Plaid to track food and drink spending and tailor suggestions.