No one wants to spend half their evening waiting for a table, especially in a city where foodie hotspots can have lines out the door before sundown. Enter The Shortlist, the newest AI-powered dining tool making waves in the Big Apple. NYC’s food lovers are using this app to get last-minute seats at some of the city’s most popular restaurants, all without wasting time in line.
The tool’s creators, Manhattanites Josh Jung and Jen Hann, launched The Shortlist this past year, designing it to provide same-day open tables across various neighborhoods throughout NYC, with options tailored by group size, seating style, and even ambiance.
The idea behind The Shortlist is simple but clever: it scrapes Google Maps and Resy data to serve up real-time recommendations to diners looking to walk in right away.
How The Shortlist Works
Using The Shortlist is simple. Say you’re looking for a cozy, quiet spot for a date night or a lively spot with outdoor seating for brunch with friends. The AI engine can help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
You can search for specifics like lighting, noise level, or cuisine type, so whether you’re after a romantic, date night spot like One if by Land, Two if by Sea in Greenwich Village, or a hip, vibrant setting like Lilia in Williamsburg, the AI curates recommendations that match your vibe, so you never end up at a loud bar on your anniversary or a quiet, speakeasy-style cafe when you’re in the mood for a party.
The Shortlist also makes it a point to showcase local gems, offering alternatives to the sought-after reservations at high-profile spots. If a table at Carbone or Katz Delicatessen isn’t available, The Shortlist suggests mom-and-pop similar places nearby, supporting a diverse range of NYC’s eateries and giving smaller restaurants a share of the city’s bustling dining scene.
Since launching on August 29, the app has already gained traction, boasting thousands of email subscribers and over 10,000 searches as of this month.
Currently, The Shortlist covers Brooklyn and Manhattan, but with rapid interest, its creators are already eyeing expansions into other restaurant-centric cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
The Reservation Revolution
Of course, beyond helping diners score last-minute tables, there are many ways that AI is reshaping the restaurant reservation experience from every angle.
Here are a few ways in which AI is transforming the reservation game:
Booking Tables Online with Ease
With the integration of AI chatbots into reservation platforms, customers’ booking process has become a lot simpler. These bots can guide guests through the entire booking process without the need for human intervention, meaning diners can confirm, change, or cancel reservations 24/7 without waiting for a restaurant to pick up the phone.
AI chatbots can even answer common questions on restaurant policies, hours, or menu offerings, freeing up staff for other tasks.
Gauging Wait Times
Perhaps one of the most valued functions of AI in this industry is its wait-time prediction capability based on real-time data. By analyzing historical data and current seating, these systems can inform customers how long they may have to wait if they show up without a reservation.
This makes for a data-driven approach that allows diners to plan and restaurants to manage customer expectations with much more efficiency. Whether it is a Saturday brunch rush or a quiet weekday evening, predictive wait times provide valuable insight for everyone involved.
Intelligent Table Planning
AI is also bringing major improvements to table management.
By understanding layout and table size, AI can offer better seating to optimize space without congestion or gaps.
For example, it could optimize a layout for both small and large parties so that managers can waste as little space as possible. Some systems can even recommend changes in layout for flexibility, such as smaller tables for couples or larger ones for groups.
This kind of strategic seating assists restaurants in filling their spaces as efficiently as possible while maintaining a comfortable dining atmosphere.
Flexible, Demand-Based Pricing
AI is also introducing the restaurant industry to demand-based pricing, which is a pretty familiar concept for airlines and hotels. During peak times, prices for reservations or special seating may increase slightly, while they may drop during slower periods.
Demand-based pricing offers diners the flexibility to pay for a premium spot or save money by dining during off-peak hours. For restaurants, it’s a smart way to boost revenue and better distribute demand.
The Future of AI in Dining
So, it’s clear that as AI continues to reshape the dining experience in New York, there is even more potential for it to transform restaurant industries worldwide. Fast-growing tools like The Shortlist will allow food-centric cities to provide even more diners with tailored, real-time dining recommendations.
Pair that with AI’s ability to simplify bookings, predict wait times, and optimize seating layouts, and we begin to see just how valuable of an advantage AI can be to any restaurant scene facing high demand.
By partnering with EMERGING, restauranteurs can stay up to date with continuous changes in AI technology and get access to the kind of tools and data science they need for strategic growth. As an industry leader in restaurant tech and innovation, EMERGING drives change by offering resources, connections, and expertise needed to scale next-generation dining concepts across the country.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your restaurant integrate with AI and stay ahead of the curve.
