The Bizzy app has always been an interesting take on the whole location-based thing, as it focused on checking out instead of checking in. The company figured that people would prefer hearing your opinions on restaurants instead of knowing that you’re at a restaurant. With its new update, it’s taking restaurant reviews a step further and taking on Yelp more directly.
The Bizzy app now includes an in-app community feature which will let you follow people with similar culinary tastes as yours, add restaurants to a “try list” and it also adds the ability to like and comment on other users’ activities. So, how is this different than Yelp and why should you try it?
I’m a big fan of the Yelp apps but the long-form reviews aren’t always extremely useful when you’re on the go and want to decide on if you should go to a restaurant or not. Bizzy offers a simplified review system that could help you make your decision quicker.
The mobile food space is quickly getting crowded, as foodies swear by apps like Foodspotting to connect with others around dishes. The Bizzy app folks tell me that this is definitely a large market (people have to eat, after all) and that it can go head-to-head with apps like Yelp while also carving out its own niche. Time will tell.
The company is kicking off an awesome promotion for its new features, as it will be doing a coast-to-coast road trip meeting up with Bizzy app users around the United States. It will be buying users some beers and probably a bite or two, so check it out if you’re inclined. It kicks off July 11 in San Francisco (I’ll be there) so maybe I’ll see you there.
Download the iPhone app here (iTunes link) and the Android version can be found here.
