DoorDash has confirmed that the company is piloting a new AI-powered mobile app for “hyper-personalized” restaurant discovery.
Zesty is a new app currently in beta mode in the delivery company’s San Francisco and New York City markets that lets customers search for restaurants via super-specific prompts like “cozy pasta spots on the Lower East Side with outdoor seating under $100.” The app can also use AI and social media connections to match personalized restaurant recommendations to a user based on their mood, vibe, and context of their prompts.
While it might sound like Yelp without the reviews, DoorDash sees the app as a complement to existing review sites, not a competitor.
“At DoorDash, we’re always looking for new ways to help people connect with the best of their communities,” a DoorDash spokesperson told NRN. “We’re piloting an app called Zesty to make it easier to discover great nearby restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and more through personalized search and social sharing. Zesty is now in public beta in San Francisco and New York, and we’re excited to learn from early testers as we keep shaping what local discovery can look like.”
This is just the latest new product launch for DoorDash, which announced a suite of new features and innovations in September, including in-house delivery robots, a smart scale, and the ability to make reservations and cash in on rewards via the DoorDash app.
According to DoorDash founder Andy Fang, who posted about Zesty on social media on Monday, the app aggregates information from DoorDash, Google Maps, TikTok, and more to curate recommendations.
Per screenshots from the app, Zesty prompts users to input what type of restaurant or bar they’re in the mood for, with suggestions like “within a 12-minute walk” and “romantic dinner with a vintage feel.” When Zesty presents results, profiles of each restaurant will pop up with explanations for they were chosen for the prompt and what’s good about the restaurant. Users can continue to ask questions like “What do most people order?” and “What about vegetarian options?” and receive conversational responses.
The Zesty app is currently only available in iOS for Apple users.
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