The basics:
- Wonder acquires restaurant rewards app Claim
- Claim tech will integrate into Grubhub‘s delivery platform
- Rewards program launches in NYC first, with national rollout planned
- Deal follows Wonder’s $650M acquisition of Grubhub in 2025
Fast-growing food hall chain Wonder continues its spree of acquisitions with the purchase of restaurant rewards app Claim.
The company announced the transaction Jan. 20. Under the agreement, Wonder will integrate the program into its Grubhub on-demand delivery platform.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
According to the announcement, Claim will be immediately available to Grubhub restaurants in New York City. A national rollout is expected later this year, the press release says.
Founded in 2021, Claim allows customers to earn cashback rewards from restaurants to redeem on dine-in and pickup orders. The app also empowers restaurants to create tailored promotions to boost traffic. Additionally, it offers a dashboard for them to track performance insights.
Unlike traditional rewards programs, Claim automatically recognizes qualifying transactions made in-person at the point of payment without any codes or scanning.
Trade publication Restaurant Business noted that Grubhub’s major competitors DoorDash and Uber Eats recently began offering more perks to boost dine-in traffic.
‘A game-changer’
In a statement, Grubhub CEO Howard Migdal said, “We’re committed to helping our restaurant partners build thriving businesses – both on and beyond our platform.”
“Claim’s innovative rewards technology introduces a powerful new way for our restaurant partners to engage in-person diners and builds on Grubhub’s robust existing suite of marketing tools. With Grubhub and Claim together under one roof, we can scale Claim’s data-driven tools to our more than 415,000 merchants and help our nearly 20 million diners save more money at the restaurants they love,” he shared.
Claim CEO and co-founder Sam Obletz added, “Restaurants bring our communities together, and they deserve an effortless way to find great customers.”
“By combining a delightful rewards experience and powerful machine learning models, we match restaurants with their next regulars. Claim is a game-changer for these businesses, and joining Grubhub marks an exciting new chapter as we scale to reach millions more diners and thousands of restaurants,” Obletz continued.
The acquisition comes a year after Wonder finalized its $650 million purchase of Grubhub.
Hungry for more
Billionaire entrepreneur Marc Lore launched Wonder in 2018. The concept originally revolved around mobile kitchens that prepared chef-designed meals outside customers’ homes. In January 2023, the company pivoted to physical locations featuring options from restaurants it has licensing deals with.
Wonder currently boasts more than 80 locations. At the shops, customers can order from a collection of nearly two dozen acclaimed chefs and eateries. Everything is made-to-order for delivery, pick-up or limited dining in.
To support its growth plans, Wonder has made several key acquisitions over the past two years, including:
- Meal kit provider Blue Apron for $103 million
- Sweetgreen’s automated kitchen technology business Spyce for $186.4 million.
The company has its R&D facility in Parsippany. Wonder has raised more than $2 billion since 2018 and is reportedly valued at more than $7 billion.
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