Yelp gobbles up SeatMe, an emerging competitor to OpenTable
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/UTaDjMrXsvEU6Norutx1MA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTc2Mg--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/riw4QOZ.XnEGRb2pDMi4Iw--~B/aD00Mjc7dz01Mzg7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/07/yelp-seatme.jpg)
Yelp just made its partnership with OpenTable very, very awkward with the announcement that it'll purchase a competing reservation service known as SeatMe for $12.7 million. The 16-person operation, based in San Francisco, runs a web and app platform that focuses on restaurants and nightlife activities. According to TechCrunch, SeatMe sent an email to its current customers in the wake of the announcement, with a promise that the service will continue operation. Meanwhile, Yelp is positioning the acquisition as a compliment to its existing offerings, which suggests that the company may bide its time before re-evaluating its partnership with OpenTable. If anything, it looks like Yelp's getting very serious about reservations and appointment bookings, and that could mean a more convenient future for you.