Yelp And OpenTable Officially End Partnership And Go Back To Being Rivals

After a five-year partnership, Yelp and OpenTable have admitted, "it's not me; it's you" and parted ways. The two companies and one-time allies actually cut ties in April amid mounting competition, but now the news is official, according to Reuters.Both companies want to take complete control of their customer experience, and staying attached at the hip stunted their growth in different ways, analysts said.

Since 2010, it has been possible to make OpenTable reservations on Yelp, simplifying the restaurant selection process into a one-stop shop. The partnership was not a huge revenue-maker for either company, although employees have hinted that OpenTable profited slightly, with traffic being driven to their site.

The split emphasizes a growing rift between the companies that was predicted long ago by financial analysts. OpenTable was acquired by Priceline last year, and has since then expanded its online reviews platform. Yelp, meanwhile, acquired SeatMe, a rival reservation-making startup which offers services similar to OpenTable's at lower prices.