Yelp lets ChatGPT users book tables directly

ChatGPT users can now book restaurant tables and join waitlists through Yelp without leaving their chats. OpenAI and Yelp announced the integration this week, letting people search, reserve, or add their names to waitlists using natural language inside ChatGPT. The feature works in the U.S. first, rolling out to both free and paid ChatGPT users over the coming weeks.

This move ties AI chat directly to real-world commerce, a step toward making digital assistants more useful for everyday tasks. Restaurants have long struggled with patchy reservation systems and no-shows. Yelp, which already lists millions of eateries, added its own booking tool in 2021 after acquiring Nowait. Now it’s plugging that system into ChatGPT to catch diners who start planning meals with AI. The timing isn’t random: summer travel and post-pandemic dining demand are spiking, and people are using AI to plan trips faster than ever.

Inside the chat, users can type requests like “Find a Mexican spot in Austin with outdoor seating” and then book or waitlist without switching apps. Yelp says it’s handling over 10 million reservation requests a month through its own platform, and the ChatGPT channel could push that number higher. OpenAI gets another reason for users to stay inside its chat environment, while Yelp gains a new sales channel that doesn’t require diners to visit its website or app.

Next up, the companies say they’ll expand the feature to more cities and add real-time table availability. They’re also testing ways to let users order food delivery through the same chat window. If it works, expect more brands to bolt their services onto AI chats, blurring the line between conversation and commerce.