Yelp is bringing more AI-powered convenience to restaurant discovery with a new feature that lets users ask a voice agent to call restaurants and check wait times on their behalf.
The feature, called Check for Me, is designed to make dining decisions faster and easier. Instead of calling a restaurant directly, users can open a restaurant page in the Yelp app, enter their party size and phone number, and let Yelp’s AI voice agent handle the call. Once the agent gets the estimated wait time, Yelp sends the user a text message with the result, helping them decide whether to visit, choose another restaurant, or adjust their plans.
The move reflects a growing trend in AI assistants that can complete real-world tasks over the phone, including customer support calls, appointment scheduling, and business inquiries. For Yelp, Check for Me expands its role beyond helping people discover local businesses. The platform is now aiming to assist users through more of the decision-making process, from finding a restaurant to checking availability and making plans.
Yelp’s AI push also builds on the company’s previous voice tools for restaurants and service providers. Those tools were created to help businesses manage customer calls more efficiently. Now, with Check for Me, Yelp is adding an AI feature for consumers as well. In some cases, this could lead to an AI agent calling a restaurant that is also using an AI phone system, creating the possibility of agent-to-agent conversations.
Alongside the new voice calling feature, Yelp is upgrading its AI assistant inside the app. The assistant is designed to help users find restaurants, local services, and activities based on their needs. With a new OpenTable integration, users can now book restaurant reservations directly through Yelp without having to leave the app.
Yelp is also making its AI assistant more personalized. The assistant will be able to remember preferences shared in earlier chats, such as favorite cuisines, preferred neighborhoods, dining styles, or service needs. Users will also be able to access their chat history from the past 30 days, with full chat history expected to become available in the future.
Another new addition allows users to set custom reminders through the chatbot. For example, someone could ask Yelp to send weekend activity ideas every Friday or remind them to look for dinner options before a special event. This gives the app a more proactive role in helping users plan where to eat and what to do.
Yelp is also improving how people save and organize places. The company is introducing customizable lists, beginning with two default options: “Been Here” and “Want to Go.” Users can filter their lists by location, category, and cuisine, as well as reorder entries, add personal notes, and share lists with friends or family.
Starting next month, Yelp plans to show weekly personalized recommendations based on saved places and user rankings. This could help users discover restaurants, cafes, attractions, and service providers that better match their tastes. Later in the year, Yelp also plans to convert collections into lists, refresh the design of the lists tab, and add a map view for easier browsing.
For business owners, Yelp is introducing more AI tools as well. A new paid product called Smart Lead Reply is designed to help businesses respond to potential customers automatically. The AI can engage with incoming inquiries, answer basic questions, and help qualify leads before a business owner steps in.
Smart Lead Reply will cost $30 per month. Business owners will be able to set instructions for how the AI should communicate with customers, giving them more control over tone, response style, and the information shared during conversations.
With these updates, Yelp is positioning itself as more than a review and discovery platform. The company is using artificial intelligence to simplify restaurant planning, improve local search, help users organize favorite places, and support businesses with customer communication. For users, the biggest benefit may be saving time. Whether checking restaurant wait times, booking a table, or finding personalized recommendations, Yelp wants its AI tools to handle more of the work behind everyday local decisions.
