American Express acquires The Fork and aims to reach 75,000 restaurants
A $700 million bid for the leading restaurant booking platform in 11 European countries. Shared values regarding innovation and service quality
From digital payments to online restaurant bookings – but with food and, above all, diners who are still very much real. American Express announced today that it has made an offer to acquire ThFork, the popular (with millions of users) online platform for restaurant bookings in Europe. With its acquisition from Tripadvisor (the offer is valued at $700 million), American Express aims to strengthen its position in the restaurant sector (and particularly in the high-end segment), with the goal of expanding from the current 50,000 restaurants across 11 European countries to 75,000, partly thanks to the platforms it already manages, such as Resy and Tock.
Through its proposed acquisition of TheFork, American Express aims to strengthen its dining offering in Europe and its ability to provide cardholders and consumers with access to sought-after restaurants, thereby supporting the growth of its international business, one of the Group’s key growth drivers.
Marquez (Amex): We will strengthen our membership model
“The restaurant sector,” commented Rafa Marquez, President of American Express International Card Services, “is one of the main areas through which people come into contact with our brand. Over time, this acquisition will enable us to strengthen our membership model, offering cardholders new opportunities to discover, book and access quality restaurants, whilst supporting our restaurant partners in expanding their customer base and growing their business. TheFork has built a successful platform across Europe, developing strong relationships with operators in the restaurant sector that will enrich our current service offering. We are excited about the prospect of supporting TheFork’s growth trajectory and building on its success by strengthening our presence in the restaurant sector in Europe.”
Shared views on innovation and service quality
“TheFork,” added CEO Almir Ambeskovic, “was founded with the aim of supporting the growth of restaurants and making it easier for consumers to discover and book excellent restaurants. Thanks to the support of Tripadvisor, we have developed one of Europe’s leading restaurant booking platforms. American Express shares our commitment to innovation, quality of service and hospitality. Together, we will have the opportunity to accelerate our mission, creating even more value for restaurants and offering increasingly rich and seamless experiences to millions of users across Europe.”
The transaction will be completed by 2026
Founded in 2007, TheFork provides restaurateurs with booking management solutions that facilitate and simplify interaction with customers, helping to improve restaurants’ business performance.
