AI Isn’t Replacing Your Team, It’s Saving Them: Devana Bhargava on Tech That Respects Hospitality

What if AI could make your restaurant more human, not less? That’s the bold idea Devana Bhargava is betting on. As a product leader at Yelp, she’s rethinking restaurant tech from the inside out—building tools that support staff instead of replacing them. In this episode, we dig into the design philosophy behind Yelp Host, why your Yelp page converts better than your Instagram, and how Devana’s team builds with operators, not just for them. She shares the questions that unlock real insights, the AI features that are actually working, and why independents are outpacing the big guys with smarter tech. This one’s for every operator who’s tired of tech that gets in the way—and ready for tools that finally get it right. To learn more about how Yelp is supporting restaurants with human-first tools, visit restaurants.yelp.com. _________________________________________________________ Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars