The news: DoorDash is testing an AI-powered app that helps consumers find new restaurants to explore, evolving its business model beyond food delivery.

• The app, called Zesty, lets users make natural language requests—such as “find me a late-night sushi restaurant in Chicago”—and get tailored recommendations.
• Zesty pulls in signals from across the web and provides citations like Yelp reviews, Google Maps ratings, and mentions on Reddit threads, per Bloomberg.

The app includes a social layer, where users can share photos and opinions on the restaurants they’ve visited and see other users’ posts.

Zooming out: DoorDash’s app effort highlights how AI is increasingly mediating and guiding the consumer discovery journey. AI can help reduce choice overload, filter out noise from social platforms, and surface “best-of” options in seconds.

Sixty percent of US adults who have tried AI use it primarily to look up information—more than any other task, per AP-NORC. However, AI differs from search in a few critical ways.

• AI compresses information. Instead of offering lists of links, it delivers summaries and recommendations, which mediates the options a consumer sees.
• AI personalizes information by default. While search may return the same result to many users, AI can tailor recommendations based on intent, past behavior, and contextual clues.

The opportunity: Brands are competing not just for search ranking, but for AI relevance. Apps like Zesty could eventually offer AI-tailored sponsored recommendations and paid placement opportunities for local businesses.

Large tech players are moving toward super apps and conversational commerce, and consumers expect personalized recommendations and the ability to get aggregated information from multiple sources.

What brands should do: Focus on both generative engine optimization (GEO) and earned, shared, and owned (ESO) media placements—such as having a presence on Reddit and a website that Yelp can index—to maximize the chances of showing up in AI responses. Monitor brand mentions and reviews on ESO channels to address any negative responses from customers and ensure accuracy of business details.