Yelp’s AI Restaurant Agent Can Call to Check Waiting Times

Yelp is adding an assistant that calls a restaurant to ask how long customers should expect to wait for a table. Digital Trends reports that the Check for Me feature collects the user’s party size and contact information, then texts the result. Initial availability is planned for iPhone users in the United States, with other platforms to follow. Yelp is also expanding reservations through OpenTable and adding personalised recommendations, list-making functions, and reminders to its assistant. Businesses will be offered a separate paid Smart Lead Reply tool for handling customer inquiries. The update shows how consumer AI assistants are beginning to handle routine service calls and coordination tasks, with availability rolling out across several features.

Digital Trends, Shikhar Mehrotra – Yelp’s new AI assistant will call restaurants for you so you can skip the dreaded wait-time call – 20th October 2026