What Happens When Restaurant Reservations Meet AI?

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about recent news (nypost.com/2025/11/12/lifestyle/diner-ai-data-…) that the popular reservation platform OpenTable is providing algorithmically-derived information about users to restaurants: notes that a given guest might frequently be late, linger over their table, or have certain preferences. Does this make anything better for anyone, or does it crudely recreate the earned knowledge and relationship that a restaurant might have with a frequent diner? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Join us for a live podcast recording at theUnified Wine & Grape Symposium (open.acast.com/networks/60075c2b795a1c638da14a…:) in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Zach is reading: Welcome to Alcohol’s Slop Era (vinepair.com/articles/alcohol-enters-slop-era)

Joanna is reading: The 20 Best Non-Alcoholic Beers for 2026 (vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/best-non-alcoholic…)

Adam is reading: Is This the American Version of Ichiro’s Malt Card Series? (vinepair.com/articles/tenmile-whisky-revolutio…)

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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