Yelp Official Blog

Yelp Me, Yelp You: Bincho Yakitori, London

At Yelp, we’ve heard from thousands of businesses and yelpers on how the site has brought them together or changed their life. From growing a one car limousine service to a multi-car company based solely on Yelp reviews; leveraging Yelp Talk to raise funds for members of its community that were devastated by a fire to meeting at a Yelp Event, eventually getting married and having twins (caveat: Yelp is not a dating site) and many more! Since these stories are inspirational, unique and sometimes just downright funny, we wanted to share them with you.

Today we wanted to introduce David Miney, Business Owner and Chef of Bincho Yakitori, London.

When David first opened Bincho Yakitori, a Japanese restaurant located in London's trendy Soho district, he wanted to include experiences in the authentic "Izakaya" style. But given this meant serving the entire chicken from beak to feet, he recognized that Tom, Dick and Harry off the street might not be open to eating gizzards and gullets. David sadly tabled that idea and focused instead on, well, more conventional foods.

Then he met Yelp.

Following an introduction to the Yelp London Community, David "unlocked" his business page via Yelp's free suite of tools, Yelp for Business Owners. He added information about himself, answered questions from yelpers via Private Messaging and uploaded announcements.

David also hosted a Yelp "Elite" Event  which saw 40+ yelpers not only taste -- but embrace -- his vision of true Izakaya cuisine: guzzling chicken hearts, livers and even chicken sashimi.

(Chicken sushi: tastes like... chicken)

The Yelp Elite Squad was more than interested in this culinary adventure and Bincho Yakitori had the opportunity to connect with a large group of open minded foodies. But more than that, word has spread that there’s something to this Izakaya-thing. In fact, yelper Chrissy B. lamented:

“A little sad to hear that some of the things on the [Yelp] menu aren't on the original menu: the chicken sashimi, and chicken with yuzu and ponzu dressing should definitely all make it on, all three dishes were divine.”

So, David did what yelpers asked and based on overwhelming feedback (and repeat customers!), he is planning to make available many of the items he had once only dreamed he could share publicly.

Do you have a Yelp story you want to share? Email us at yelpme@yelp.com!

New York, New York Deals!

Start spreading the news, we’re launching today... We want to be a part of it, New York, New York!

You can’t get more Big Apple than the legend himself, Frank Sinatra, so it’s only natural we’d have to borrow a line or two from him to help with today’s exciting Yelp announcement (just be glad we're not actually singing it!) Building on the wildly popular success we’ve already seen in cities including San Diego and most recently, San Francisco, we're thrilled to test Yelp Deals in one of our most important and popular Yelp markets: New York, New York!

Starting today, New Yorkers can take advantage of deeply discounted deals from establishments the Yelp Community has given the thumbs up. Spa Ja in Columbus Circle is kicking off the craze with 50% off 60 minute Swedish Massage. Want in? Then make sure you’re signed up for the New York Weekly Yelp to get these deals delivered straight to your inbox!

While these are still early days, we’ve been thrilled by the response from both consumers and participating business owners. Keep an eye out for more Yelp Deals to come in these cities, as well as others!

Meg Whitman Pays Yelp a Visit

We recently invited both candidates for Governor of California to visit Yelp and speak to our employees. Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, accepted our invitation and stopped by this afternoon for a lengthy chat with Yelp employees.

Meg outlined her key priorities for us and graciously entertained a bevy of questions ranging from her position on Prop 8 and her ad campaign, to career advice and her thoughts on "trimming the fat and cutting spending".

We were thrilled to have her stop by today for a candid conversation and folks are still buzzing about it in the halls. To be clear, this is not an endorsement of any candidate by Yelp, instead, it was a rare opportunity for our employees to hear directly from a candidate for office, as well as from an accomplished business leader in an industry somewhat similar to our own.

Jerry Brown, if you are reading this, our invitation still stands and we'd love to host you, too!

You Want Great Views? Find It On Yelp

Last week, Yelp passed the 13 million review mark -- and it’s no secret that because our community is sharing all these great reviews, that Yelp has become the best place to find a local business. But did you know that Yelp is also a resource to help you find “dog-friendly” B&Bs, campgrounds with the “best view,” even beaches that have “great waves”?

Because we have millions of reviews and counting, that means we have a massive wealth of content that can provide a rich snapshot of, well, anything. Not just businesses. For example, if you do a search for “best views” in San Francisco, guess what comes up? Reviews for Land’s End Park, Corona Heights Park, California Coastal Trail and much more.

Let’s go ahead and try “dog friendly” in New York. You get a variety of businesses, parks and services that all aim to please you and your pup.

Not bad, right?

The sheer amount and quality of reviews on Yelp ensures that we can provide specified and local insight on anything from a “romantic spot” to take your date in Austin to finding the most authentic “Ethiopian coffee” in London. And while we’re happy to also provide lightweight ways for yelpers to contribute on the go, we’re able to leverage the rich content from Yelp.com to give you the same in-depth information and insight on your mobile device.

How does it feel to have the power of 13 million reviews in your back pocket?

The Positive Side of Negative Reviews

Note: This entry was originally published on The Huffington Post.

Getting negative reviews can sting. (Trust us. We know.)

But how much weight should you put into a negative review?

“Mohawk Matt” of Bolt Barbers in downtown Los Angeles loves his negative reviews. In a brilliant act of brand judo, he’s turned the critiques of his service into nuggets of pure marketing gold.



Yelp isn’t the only review site out there, and the ability for people to share their opinions online isn’t going away -- it’s only becoming more commonplace. Business owners are much better served getting involved in a conversation about their businesses than burying their heads in the sand and pretending it’s not happening or railing against its existence.

Yelp (and many other consumer feedback platforms) allow you to respond privately or publicly to reviews. We recommend starting off with a diplomatic, private message expressing regret that the customer didn’t have a 5-star experience. Even if it doesn’t result in the reviewer upgrading or removing their review, it can’t hurt to post a polite public response that says, “Molly says our bar closes at 9 pm, but we’re actually open until midnight. Thanks for the review, Molly, and sorry you didn’t have a 5-star experience!”

In most cases, a negative review here and there isn’t something to lose sleep over. That said, if you receive ten reviews in a row noting that the bread is stale, you might want to take stock of the situation. Maybe the reviewers are on to something, and it’s time to look at a different bread vendor or better communicate why your bread tastes the way it does.

Above all, put your emotion to the side, resist the urge to point fingers, and do the smart thing and engage reviewers diplomatically.

Three Things You Didn’t Know About Negative Reviews

1. Most reviews on Yelp are actually positive -- about 85% are 3 stars or above. In fact, this is pretty consistent across the Internet: when people share information about an experience or product, it’s often because they’re happy.

2. This may seem counter-intuitive, but negative reviews can actually be a good thing. Some savvy consumers are actually suspicious of businesses that sport an unblemished record.  On average, a restaurant with more than 20 reviews and a 4 star rating on Yelp has three times more page view traffic than a restaurant with more than 20 reviews and a 5 star rating.

3. No one takes the negative review as seriously as you do. Your prospective customers are sizing up the reviews and the reviewers just as much as they are sizing up your business, so give them a little bit of credit and trust their ability to discern the diehards from the blowhards.

La Weekly Yelp, ainsi que Yelp pour iPhone, débarquent en France!

Il y a tout juste 3 mois nous avions lancé Yelp dans un pays non-anglosaxon, Yelp France, pour la toute première fois. Depuis, des yelpeurs ont rédigé des milliers d’avis sur leurs lieux favoris (et moins favoris!). Cette semaine nous sommes heureux de dévoiler nos nouveaux services pour nos amis en France : la première Weekly Yelp Paris, ainsi que l’application Yelp pour iPhone.

Désormais les yelpeurs en France peuvent recevoir une mise à jour hebdomadaire concernant les meilleurs lieux, services, et événements dans leur ville, et facilement repérer comment s’y rendre.

Et ainsi nous démarrons la rentrée en beauté!

To read this post in English, click the link below.