What’s the Deal With Wonder, the ‘Food Hall’ That’s Suddenly Everywhere?

Wonder, a company that describes itself as a "new kind of food hall," has acquired Grubhub, a food ordering and delivery platform, to become the "super app for meal time." The acquisition brings Wonder one step closer to its goal, allowing it to offer Grubhub's restaurant partners in its app alongside its existing offerings. Wonder has also received $250 million in new investments to further its mission and growth, adding to the $700 million it announced in March. The company, founded by e-commerce entrepreneur Marc Lore, has 30 open locations and 18 more set to open in 2025, mostly in the Northeastern United States. Wonder allows customers to order from multiple restaurants at once, with food prepared in a commissary kitchen and finished at its physical locations. The company pays its chef and restaurant partners a fee and stock in the company, allowing it to use their brands and recipes without royalties. Wonder's benefit over its competitors is its vertical integration, controlling the entire experience from recipe to fulfillment. The company has shifted from its initial van delivery model to fixed locations, which allows it to scale faster and with better profit margins. Wonder's food is prepared and often par-cooked in a commissary kitchen, then distributed to its restaurants, where it's finished with lightly trained labor. The company aims to deliver food in around 30 minutes, with a goal of re-envisioning the future of food delivery and making great food more accessible.