Hard Fork AI DoorDash’s Zesty App Brings Social Energy to Food Delivery
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Dec 16, 2025 A new AI app called Zesty transforms food discovery by adding social dynamics to meal choices in cities like SF and NYC. It personalizes recommendations using natural language, suggesting settings like cozy or romantic spots. By scraping data from various platforms, Zesty enhances its restaurant curation. The podcast discusses how Zesty's social features might rival Instagram in discoverability while making it easier to decide where to eat for special occasions. Additionally, there are insights into DoorDash's future expansion and monetization strategies.
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AI-Powered Local Discovery
- DoorDash launched Zesty, an AI-driven social discovery app focused on finding restaurants.
- The app uses AI to curate recommendations from DoorDash data, Google Maps, TikTok and other web sources.
Experiment Rapidly With AI Prototypes
- Companies should experiment with AI to quickly prototype features and revive products.
- Use generated code and models to iterate shallow prototypes that test user demand and capture market share.
Use Natural Language For Precise Picks
- Ask Zesty natural-language queries like "a low key dinner in Williamsburg that's good for introverts" to get tailored restaurant picks.
- Use specific contextual filters (time, vibe, group size) to speed up your search and get precise suggestions.