OpenTable CEO Debby Soo Talks Restaurants, ChatGPT, And Entrepreneurship

Hosted by Kerry Diamond
Produced by Catherine Baker and Jenna Sadhu
Edited by Jenna Sadhu
Music by Tralala, “All Fired Up”

Debby Soo was tapped to be the CEO of OpenTable in August 2020, a perilous time for the hospitality industry because of the global pandemic. Her mandate for the world’s largest reservations platform was straightforward: help restaurants survive. Since then, restaurants have evolved, as has OpenTable, which turns 25 this year. In addition to reservations, the platform now features experiences, access to takeout and delivery options, and the ability to search by categories like women-owned. 

Debby joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about lessons learned from her travel agent parents, career pivots, and the partnership between OpenTable and ChatGPT parent company OpenAI, which promises to change how we research and book restaurants. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Our show is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center. Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here. 

More on Debby and OpenTable: OpenTable, OpenTable blog, OpenTable and ChatGPT