Alex Shebar

Alex started working for Yelp three years ago, in July 2010. Having been let go from a job at a newspaper, Alex was looking for something to do in his spare time between applying for jobs.

He set up a project where he wanted to screen the 100 best films of all time locally, throughout the city. Starting in living rooms in people’s houses with a few friends, it grew to 500 people screenings in cinema houses. Yelp picked this up through Twitter and were very impressed- they’re big on social media and were able to find him through the growth of his project. They were looking for their first Community Manager in Cincinnati and thought he’d be a great fit.

He quickly blossomed in the role, and was offered the position of working as the Community Manager for London. He moved here in July 2012.

Alex’s views on Yelp and London
There’s too much to do in London, so we become apathetic and, although we have all these options, we end up in a rut, visiting the same places over and over again. Alex takes a group of people who love this city and actively encourages them to explore everything that’s out there.

“You may think you know your neighbourhood well, but if a friend recommends something nearby that you’ve never heard of before, it’s a revelation. Yelp is a grand scale version of that.”

“Yelp is offering something other places aren’t. It’s the quality of the reviews and the community. The reviews industry as a whole tends to offer one opinion per publication. If you don’t agree it can be frustrating. If you use Yelp you have a voice, and you can see and assess other Londoners’ opinions. There’s a selection of reviews to choose from and ultimately you get a much better scope of the place.”

“Although Yelp is a welcoming, friendly place, people can be too scared or intimidated to interact. Don’t be! The community’s a nice bunch; they see the best things of the city, do amazing tours, offer free food, free cocktails, and a real experience of London. You can be a part of Yelp no matter who you are. There’s definitely something there for everyone.”

It does surprise some people how well a guy from the US, who has only lived in London a year knows it so well. He’ll rattle off places that he loves and they'll go, "I've lived here my entire life and I didn't know any of that." But really, that's the joy of Yelp. He uses it to find these amazing local spots, as can anyone. “People who are sick of London or become bored with what's here need to give it a go. They'll discover the city all over again.”