OpenTable Uses AI to Track and Share Customer Dining Habits with Restaurants

NEW YORK — OpenTable, a popular restaurant reservation platform, now employs artificial intelligence to monitor customer dining habits and share summarized insights with participating restaurants, according to reports. The system collects data from reservations and point-of-sale (POS) platforms to generate AI-assisted tags that highlight patterns such as drink preferences, spending levels, and dining behaviors.

The AI tags are created by integrating OpenTable with POS systems like Toast and Epos, which manage orders, payments, and timing during meals. When a diner’s contact information matches their OpenTable account, the platform links the visit details to their profile. This can include arrival time, order information, duration of the meal, and bill totals. These data points are then used to produce non-identifiable summaries for restaurants that have enabled data sharing and use supported POS systems.

Users do not need to book through OpenTable for their data to be included; having an account with matching contact details is sufficient. However, the extent of information available varies depending on the restaurant’s use of POS integrations and the duration of their participation. Some users who requested their data through OpenTable’s privacy form found only basic contact details and a history of past reservations.

Restaurants have long tracked guest preferences manually, noting favorite dishes, seating choices, or special occasions to enhance customer experience. OpenTable’s AI-generated insights aim to streamline this process by providing simplified tags that indicate drink categories, spending ranges, and behavioral patterns. However, these tags may not always accurately reflect individual habits. For example, a single business dinner with high spending or dining with friends who order cocktails can skew the AI’s assessment.

Kat Menter, a host at a Michelin-starred restaurant and food content creator known as Eating Out Austin, first highlighted the AI-assisted tags in a TikTok video that gained widespread attention. Media outlets subsequently confirmed the presence of this system in multiple restaurants.

The use of AI to analyze dining habits raises questions about privacy and data sharing. While OpenTable’s summaries are based on non-identifiable data, the platform’s ability to track detailed customer behavior through integrated systems underscores the growing role of AI in the hospitality industry. Diners concerned about privacy may want to review their OpenTable account settings and data sharing preferences.