Urbanspoon

Urbanspoon was a restaurant information and recommendation service founded in 2006, based in Seattle, Washington. It provided a platform for users to discover, rate, and review restaurants, as well as make reservations. Urbanspoon was known for its unique slot machine interface, which allowed users to shake their smartphones to receive random restaurant suggestions based on location, type of cuisine, and price. The service was available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, covering thousands of restaurants in these regions.

History

Urbanspoon was launched by Ethan Lowry, Adam Doppelt, and Patrick O'Donnell in 2006 with the aim of creating a user-friendly and engaging way for people to discover and share restaurant experiences. The company gained significant attention with the launch of its app for the iPhone in 2008, which utilized the phone's accelerometer to create a slot machine effect for restaurant discovery. This innovative approach to restaurant selection helped Urbanspoon to stand out in the crowded field of online restaurant guides.

In 2009, Urbanspoon was acquired by IAC (InterActiveCorp), which helped the platform to expand its reach and services. Under IAC, Urbanspoon continued to grow, adding features like table reservations and expanded user reviews.

However, in 2015, Urbanspoon was acquired by Zomato, an Indian restaurant discovery service and review site. Following the acquisition, the Urbanspoon brand was phased out, and its content and user base were integrated into Zomato's platform.

Features

Urbanspoon's most notable feature was its slot machine interface, which allowed users to find restaurants by shaking their smartphone. This feature used the device's accelerometer to generate random restaurant suggestions based on selected filters such as location, cuisine, and price range. Other key features included:

• User Reviews and Ratings: Users could write reviews and rate restaurants on a five-star scale, contributing to a restaurant's overall rating on the platform.
• Wishlists and Favorites: Users could create wishlists of restaurants they wanted to try and mark others as favorites.
• Photos: Users could upload photos of their meals to accompany their reviews, providing visual insights into the dining experience.
• Reservations: In partnership with services like OpenTable, Urbanspoon allowed users to make online reservations at participating restaurants.

Impact

Urbanspoon played a significant role in the digital transformation of the restaurant industry, influencing how people discover and choose where to eat. Its user-generated content model empowered diners to share their experiences and opinions, while its innovative use of mobile technology made restaurant discovery fun and interactive. The platform's integration into Zomato has allowed its legacy to continue, contributing to the global expansion of online restaurant discovery and review services.

See Also

• Yelp
• TripAdvisor
• OpenTable
• Zomato

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