[The Next Web] After acquiring the online reservation startup, Yelp adds option to book SeatMe reservations from its listings

Yelp today introduced a new feature that lets users book SeatMe reservations directly from the social network’s restaurant and nightlife venue listings. The integration is now available on Yelp’s Web, Android, and iOS apps.

Yelp argues its SeatMe reservation feature helps consumers “seamlessly close that loop between discovering a great local business and experiencing the best that business has to offer.” Here is how it looks in action on Yelp’s website:

Yelp notes that reservations aren’t limited to just food: some 20 percent of SeatMe venues are bars and lounges. The company also claims restaurants and bars “love SeatMe because of their flat fee structure” and no “per diner” fees.

Yelp acquired the online reservation startup SeatMe back in July. This news came less than two weeks after Yelp announced its entrance into the food delivery industry.

At the time, Yelp explained the deal would enable it to “further enhance the consumer experience by extending the convenience of easy, online reservations directly through Yelp to thousands of currently unserved businesses.” Four months later it has finally delivered.

This is of course a much larger part of Yelp’s competition with FourSquare. Both companies are increasingly looking to strengthen relationships with local companies to provide a better experience to mobile users who are constantly looking for a fresh way to broaden their outing options.

See also – Yelp confirms Harvard study about fraudulent reviews, says its algorithm discards 25% of user submissions and Yelp now matches photos and reviews by the same user on desktop and mobile

Top Image Credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images

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