OpenTable Exposes Diners' Secrets to Restaurants

In November 2025, the reservation platform OpenTable has begun providing restaurants with detailed information about their customers, including their dining habits and preferences. The company's new "AI-assisted" tags alert restaurant staff to details like whether a customer is a frequent red wine drinker, a high spender, or someone who tends to leave reviews.

This data is collected through OpenTable's integrations with popular point-of-sale (POS) systems used by restaurants. Even if customers don't book through OpenTable, the platform can still link their dining activity to their account if they provide their phone number or email. OpenTable then shares this information across its network of restaurants.

While some restaurants appreciate the opportunity to personalize their service, others are skeptical of the accuracy and usefulness of the automated customer tags. Kat Menter, a host at a Michelin-starred restaurant, says the tags "just seem random" and that her team tends to "revert to not trusting them." There are also concerns about the privacy implications of OpenTable sharing such detailed customer data without explicit consent.

Overall, this new feature highlights how OpenTable has evolved beyond just a reservation platform, and how the data it collects on diners is becoming a valuable commodity for the restaurant industry.