Wonder, the food hall startup that owns Grubhub, wants to go public and has a goal of fully autonomous food prep and delivery by 2040.
Wonder, a food startup that runs food hall-style locations, is reportedly aiming to go public. Founder Marc Lore also says the company wants fully autonomous food preparation and delivery by 2040. CNBC reported the plans on Sunday, Oct. 25. The company is also planning an "aggressive" expansion in Texas.
Wonder launched in 2018. Diners place takeout or delivery orders from its food hall-style locations through third-party platforms, including Grubhub. Wonder bought Grubhub from JustEatTakeaway in 2024. Lore calls Wonder "a vertically integrated food technology platform to make great food more accessible." In plain terms, the company controls much of the chain, from the kitchen to the ordering app.
Because Wonder owns Grubhub, customers who order through the app do not pay delivery fees. Menu prices are also not raised to cover commission fees that delivery platforms usually charge restaurants. Wonder says it plans to open locations in urban, suburban and rural areas. It also wants to keep prices below the cost of having groceries delivered.
Wonder is also planning a subscription program that lets diners operate their own "restaurants." According to PYMNTS, an AI tool would build a restaurant from a customer's description. It would create the name, branding, description, pictures, pricing, health information and recipes. The new restaurant would then go live at Wonder locations. The company's "programmable cooking platform" already cooks meals from 25 restaurants.
Lore said he cannot talk about timing for a public offering. CNBC reported that Wonder could soon pitch investors, but only if the window for companies to list reopens in the coming months. The report does not give a launch date or price for the subscription. It also does not say what more automation means for kitchen workers or for nearby independent restaurants.
Lore says going public would raise the money needed to build a "generational business" and give Wonder a public currency for more acquisitions. Watch for Texas openings and any news on the subscription program. Those will show how quickly the plan moves from pitch to reality.
Wonder wants cheaper, more automated takeout and may go public, but timing, pricing and the effect on restaurant workers are still unclear.
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