Who Owns Yelp Reservations?
Yelp Reservations is owned by Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP), the San Francisco reviews company. It is the restaurant reservation component of Yelp Guest Manager, a subscription front-of-house suite that combines online booking, remote waitlists, and seating management. The product descends from SeatMe, the reservation startup Yelp acquired in 2013.
Yelp Reservations Timeline
United StatesOfficial Website
Who Owns Yelp Reservations?
- Parent Company: Yelp Inc.
- Ownership Type: Product line
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NYSE: YELP
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Yelp Reservations | Yelp Inc. | Product line |
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History of Yelp Reservations
- Founded: 2013
- Founders: Jordan Bowman, Andrew Kitchell
Yelp entered reservations through acquisition. In July 2013 it bought SeatMe, a San Francisco startup founded in 2011 by Jordan Bowman and Andrew Kitchell that offered restaurants an iPad-based waitlist and booking system.
Yelp first operated SeatMe alongside a lightweight Yelp Reservations feature, then unified the products. The strategic idea was to connect its massive diner audience to actual tables, turning reviews into transactions rather than just discovery.
The product evolved into Yelp Guest Manager, a front-of-house suite bundling reservations, a remote waitlist that lets diners join lines from their phones, kiosk check-in, and server rotation management. Yelp's 10-K describes Guest Manager as a subscription suite for restaurants and nightlife venues. Within that suite, the booking function is still widely known as Yelp Reservations, and it competes with OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms, and Toast Tables on the strength of Yelp's consumer reach.
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About Yelp Inc.
Who founded Yelp? Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons, two former PayPal employees, founded Yelp in 2004 in San Francisco. Stoppelman remains CEO; Simmons left in 2010.
How does Yelp make money? Primarily by selling advertising to local businesses through cost-per-click ads and enhanced business pages. It also earns subscription revenue from Yelp Guest Manager and licensing fees from its data APIs.
Does Yelp own a reservation platform? Yes. Yelp Guest Manager is its subscription front-of-house suite for restaurants, combining reservations, waitlists, and seating management. It descends from the SeatMe acquisition of 2013 and the earlier Yelp Reservations product.
Did Google try to buy Yelp? Reported talks in 2009 valued Yelp around $550 million, but the company walked away and later went public in 2012. Yelp has since supported antitrust actions against Google's local search practices.
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Where is Yelp headquartered? 350 Mission Street in San Francisco, California, a tower it purchased in 2021.
- Founded: 2004
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NYSE: YELP
- Revenue: $1.46 billion (FY2025)
- Employees: Approximately 5,000
Where Is Yelp Reservations Made / Based?
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
Yelp Reservations Categories & Tags
Yelp Reservations Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Embedded in the consumer platform where dining decisions already happen
- +Flat subscription pricing avoids the per-cover fees rivals charge
- +Bundled with waitlist and seating tools in Guest Manager
Considerations
- -Reservation is a minor Yelp revenue line, not a strategic priority
- -Diners must use Yelp, while OpenTable and Resy have dedicated booking apps
- -Guest Manager competes for engineering resources with Yelp's ad products
Sources & Further Reading
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Competitors to Yelp Reservations
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express | USA | 2014 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Booking Holdings | United States | 1998 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Doordash | USA | 2011 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Toast | USA | 2023 | Mass market | United states | All Genders | |
| American Express | USA | 2014 | Mass market | Global | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Travel HospitalityResy
Owned by American Express Company
American Express-owned restaurant reservation platform, now absorbing Tock venues and exceeding 25,000 bookable restaurants.
restaurant-reservationsdininghospitality-technology
Travel HospitalityOpenTable
Owned by Booking Holdings
American online restaurant reservation platform owned by Booking Holdings, connecting diners with over 60,000 restaurants worldwide and providing restaurant management software.
restaurant-reservationsdiningonline-reservations
Travel HospitalitySevenRooms
Owned by DoorDash, Inc.
Restaurant CRM and reservation platform acquired by DoorDash for $1.2 billion in June 2025.
restaurant-reservationsguest-crmhospitality-technology
Food Service RestaurantsToast Tables
Owned by Toast, Inc.
Restaurant reservation and waitlist product launched by Toast in 2023 and bundled with the Toast POS platform.
restaurant-reservationswaitlist-managementpos-integration
Travel HospitalityTock
Owned by American Express Company
Chicago restaurant reservation and events platform owned by American Express since 2024 and folded into Resy in 2026.
restaurant-reservationsprepaid-diningevent-ticketing
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: Yelp Reservations competes with 5 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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Independent Alternatives to Yelp Reservations
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Yelp Inc., giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
Travel HospitalityAce Hotel
Owned by Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, Inc.
Boutique lifestyle hotel brand founded in Seattle in 1999, owned by Japan's Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide since September 2025, with nine hotels worldwide.
hotelsboutique-hotelslifestyle-hotels
Privately Owned
Ace Hotel is privately owned, unlike Yelp Reservations which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Travel HospitalityAquaventure Waterpark
Owned by Kerzner International Holdings Limited
141-acre water park at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, featuring high-speed slides, river rides, and marine habitat experiences, operated by Brookfield Asset Management.
water-parkresort-attractionbahamas
Privately Owned
Aquaventure Waterpark is privately owned, unlike Yelp Reservations which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Travel HospitalityAtlantis Resorts
Owned by Kerzner International Holdings Limited
Luxury integrated resort brand operating properties in the Bahamas, Dubai, and China under two separate ownership structures, with new resorts announced for the Maldives and Saudi Arabia.
luxury-resortsintegrated-resortshospitality
Privately Owned
Atlantis Resorts is privately owned, unlike Yelp Reservations which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Travel HospitalityBest Western Plus
Owned by WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels)
Upper-midscale hotel brand of member-owned cooperative WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels), the largest flag in the Best Western family.
hotelsupper-midscalehospitality
Privately Owned
Best Western Plus is privately owned, unlike Yelp Reservations which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Travel HospitalityDolphin Cay
Owned by Kerzner International Holdings Limited
14-acre marine habitat and conservation center at Atlantis Paradise Island offering dolphin encounters and marine education programs.
marine-habitatdolphin-encounterconservation
Privately Owned
Dolphin Cay is privately owned, unlike Yelp Reservations which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Travel HospitalityFinns Beach Club
Owned by FINNS Bali Group
Beachfront entertainment venue in Canggu, Bali, known for infinity pools, dining, and sunset events. Operated by PT Pantai Semara Nusantara.
beach-clubhospitalitybali
Privately Owned
Finns Beach Club is privately owned, unlike Yelp Reservations which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Yelp Inc. Stock Information
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