Facebook is launching a Yelp competitor that also lets you buy food without leaving the app

Facebook

Facebook is unveiling new tools for getting recommendations and ordering food, a move that could help the social media giant take on apps like Foursquare, Yelp, and Seamless. 

Starting today, Facebook is adding new tools to its small business Pages aimed at allowing users to interact with local businesses without leaving the Facebook app. Facebook announced a "call to action" button on Pages last year, and the latest move adds more options to that button, like 'Start Order," "Book Now," or "Buy Tickets." Users will be able to get a quote from a business or place a food order through the company's Facebook page. 

Facebook is also launching a new feature so that whenever you write a post on Facebook looking for a advice on a salon or a restaurant, you can turn on "Recommendations" for the post, which lets friend comment with suggestions. Those are then saved and mapped out. 

The new tools could help Facebook beat out sites like Yelp, which is still the go-to source for recommendations on restaurants and services. It also lets Facebook delve into online ordering, which is dominated by apps like Seamless and GrubHub. 

Back in June, Facebook said that small businesses are one of Facebook's "biggest opportunities" as it looks to the future growth of its advertising business. At the time, COO Sheryl Sandberg said there are now more than 60 million monthly active business Pages on Facebook.

New York-based startup Slice, an app that powers online ordering and delivery for local pizzerias, is one of the partners Facebook is adding to Pages. Customers will now be able to place orders from a pizzeria's Facebook page using Slice's platform. Other companies like Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, Delivery.com, and HomeAdvisor will also be integrated into the platform. 

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