Yelp Unveils AI-Powered Assistant and 35+ New Features in Spring Product Release
Yelp has introduced its 2026 Spring Product Release, rolling out more than 35 new features to improve how users discover and interact with local businesses. At the center of the update is Yelp Assistant, an AI-powered chatbot designed to provide instant answers, personalized recommendations, and seamless booking options within a single conversation. The new tool reflects Yelp’s shift toward a more conversational, action-driven experience that helps users move quickly from searching to completing tasks.
Yelp Chief Product Officer Craig Saldanha said, “The new Yelp Assistant is our most significant AI product evolution yet as we reconceive Yelp around instant answers and seamless actions. The experiences and opinions from real people that power every recommendation are what sets Yelp Assistant apart, delivering trustworthy results that help consumers make confident decisions, faster. And for the first time, consumers can seamlessly move from discovery to action in a single conversation with new and enhanced integrations—from booking a table, to ordering delivery, or scheduling an appointment. As we transform Yelp with AI, this is only the beginning of a more conversational, personalized, and action-oriented Yelp experience.”
The enhanced platform expands booking and scheduling capabilities through new integrations with services like Vagaro, Zocdoc, and Calendly. Users can now book beauty appointments, schedule medical visits, reserve restaurant tables, or request service quotes directly within the app. Additional partnerships with platforms such as DoorDash and Grubhub also make it easier to order food from hundreds of thousands of restaurants, further streamlining the process from discovery to action. Alongside these updates, Yelp has introduced new AI-driven features to improve user experience and engagement. Enhancements to Menu Vision make restaurant menus more interactive by overlaying photos and highlighting popular items, while a redesigned home feed offers more personalized content and recommendations. The release also includes smarter photo search tools and an AI-powered support chatbot for advertisers, reinforcing Yelp’s broader push to integrate AI across its platform for both consumers and businesses.
Learn more here.
Old El Paso Celebrates “Taco Totality” with Limited-Edition Gear Box for Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday fall on the same day for the first time since 2020, creating a rare overlap that won’t happen again until 2037. Old El Paso has dubbed the occasion “Taco Totality,” likening it to a once-in-a-generation event where two taco-centric celebrations align. To mark the moment, the brand is encouraging fans to go all-in on taco night with themed products and promotions built around the May 5 celebration. As part of the campaign, Old El Paso is releasing a limited-edition Taco Totality Gear Box filled with novelty items and new product offerings. The box features taco shells flavored with TABASCO® sauce for added heat, along with playful accessories like a themed T-shirt, a neck pillow designed for comfortable taco eating, and protective glasses for food prep. The goal is to enhance the taco experience while adding a fun, over-the-top twist to the celebration.
General Mills Business Unit Director for Old El Paso, Meredith Nelson Uram, said, “We take tacos very seriously, and Taco Totality is a chance to really celebrate with our biggest fans. People can always count on Old El Paso for taco night essentials, but now we’re taking care of the little details — like shield glasses, because chopping onions is no joke.”
To build excitement, the brand has partnered with actor Randy Havens to explain the “taco eclipse” through social media content. Shoppers can also take advantage of promotions through cashback and rewards apps while stocking up on Old El Paso products, including new TABASCO®-inspired shells and seasonings. The campaign blends humor, limited-time offers, and interactive content to turn a calendar coincidence into a full-scale marketing event.
Read all about it here.
White Castle Expands with “Crave & Go” Automated Kiosks
White Castle is partnering with Automated Retail Technologies (ART) to introduce a new way for customers to access its signature Sliders. The collaboration will bring hot, ready-to-eat menu items to automated kiosks across the country, allowing the brand to expand beyond its traditional restaurants and grocery store freezer aisles. Through the rollout of “Crave & Go” kiosks, White Castle plans to install machines in a wide variety of high-traffic locations. The initiative will begin with approximately 1,000 locations, offering freshly prepared Sliders on demand without the need to wait in line. The kiosks are powered by ART’s existing automated retail platform, which is already widely used in similar environments, making it easier to bring White Castle products to places where full restaurants may not be practical.
White Castle Chief Marketing Officer Jamie Richardson said, “This partnership provides a fun new way for consumers to experience White Castle. Automated retail allows us to meet consumers when cravings strike—on campuses, in hospitals, and at workplaces—while delivering the hot and tasty quality that has defined our brand for more than 100 years.”
Early deployments have already generated strong customer interest and positive feedback, with broader expansion expected throughout 2026. In addition to increasing convenience, the partnership will also explore new menu items and innovations designed specifically for automated retail settings. Together, the companies aim to meet consumers wherever cravings arise, while continuing to deliver the quality and consistency that have defined White Castle for more than a century.
Learn about the White Castle rewards program here.
Original Article Links:
Yelp Launches the New Yelp Assistant, Transforming Local Discovery from Search to Answers and Actions
Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday Fall on the Same Day as Old El Paso Celebrates Rare "Taco Totality" with Exclusive Merch and Tacos for Fans Nationwide
White Castle Partners with Automated Retail Technologies to Bring Iconic Sliders to Automated Kiosks Nationwide