On Thursday night in Midtown, several diners arrived at a popular Italian restaurant holding confirmations made by artificial intelligence-powered services. These AI tools, which automatically scan for open tables and book them on behalf of users, have become more common in the city this fall. Restaurant managers say the technology adds a new layer of unpredictability to an already complex reservations system.
Some diners are turning to subscription-based bots that promise to snag reservations at desirable times. Unlike traditional booking, these bots can scan for cancellations or last-minute openings at any hour. Staff at a Chelsea bistro reported that recent no-shows have increased, as some AI services reserve multiple tables for the same user, who then chooses only one.
Chefs and owners are divided on the impact. "It’s hard enough to predict the flow on a rainy Tuesday," said one Lower East Side restaurateur. "Now we don’t know if reservations are real people or computers." Others see potential benefits, citing fewer unused tables when cancellations are quickly filled. Still, questions remain about fairness as some diners gain an edge through technology.
The city’s reservation platforms, such as Resy and OpenTable, have begun tracking suspicious patterns. Some have issued warnings to users who frequently book and cancel through third-party bots. There is no standardized policy for AI-assisted reservations in New York as of this week.
The use of these tools comes at a time when restaurant margins remain tight. With autumn’s dinner crowds returning, operators say a clearer approach may be needed. For now, the practice remains legal, but the debate over fairness continues among both staff and patrons.