How futuristic foodies are using AI to get into NYC hot spots without the wait
Futuristic foodies are using AI to get into Big Apple hotspots without the wait.
New Yorkers are skipping months-long waitlists by The Shortlist, a newly launched tool that serves up day-of open tables by neighborhood, number of seats and even type of ambiance.
Manhattanites Jenn Han and Josh Jung, both 23, put their heads together last month to launch the tech, which scrapes Google Maps and Resy data to create customized dining recommendations to diners who want to walk in right away.
Users can search for restaurants recommended for holding conversations (such as Cafe Luxembourg, according to the tool), romantic date nights (Pisticci) and even breakups (The Smith).
“You don’t want to find yourself at a noisy restaurant for your anniversary dinner or end up at a quiet bar after a two-hour long pre-game,” Han, who resides in Midtown and grew up in Austin, Texas and Shanghai, China, told The Post. “
With Shortlist … [you can] find exactly what you’re looking for, and get seated now.”
A third founder, Rachel Fong, 26, supports the team on the product side from her home state of California.
The tool also provides a list of mom-and-pop alternatives to coveted reservations at renowned restaurants, such as 4 Charles and Don Angie, in hopes that the tool will help “share the love” among businesses, the creators said.
Since launching on Aug. 29, the AI tool has garnered thousands of email subscribers and amassed over 10,000 searches, its creators said.
For now, the tool only scrapes reservation data for Manhattan and Brooklyn – but its creators are already envisioning an expansion to other cities after users in San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington DC requested their own versions.
Some brunchers weren’t as impressed when asked in Williamsburg Sunday afternoon, noting the tool’s data comes from existing sources.
“I already have Google Maps. I already have Resy, OpenTable, all of this,” Marcelle Wallace, 28, told The Post. “I am already able to see if places have an open reservation.
“I like the idea, but would I get it? No,” the Williamsburg resident said.
Others said the new AI tool would be a welcome convenience to the New York restaurant scene given notoriously lengthy wait times for some walk-in establishments.
“I think I would use that, there are definitely some occasions where I am looking for a more last minute bite,” Aden, 23, told The Post. “I would definitely appreciate something that could grab me [a seat] somewhere where there’s not an hour or two wait.
“I would totally use it, absolutely,” said Veronica Bae, 29. “I do not like standing on line. I’m actually a very impatient person. If you tell me there is a line, I’m not there.”
“Me and my friends go out for dinner every Wednesday and we have to use Resy,” added NYU student Melody, 18.
“It’s such a pain because everything is always super booked out. So that’s actually a pretty good idea.”
