Here's How Wonder Restaurants Works For The First-Timers

If you've been hearing the term Wonder in recent restaurant conversation, there's a good reason for that. Though launching just in 2018, the Wonder restaurant concept is already considered a "disruptor," challenging the status quo and introducing a brand-new dining approach. In a nutshell, Wonder isn't a single restaurant, or even a chain of them, but rather a fresh twist on the food hall concept. Think of it as a delivery-first kitchen hosting 20 to 30 virtual "restaurants" under one roof that you can order from simultaneously — but with individual hands-on preparation distinguishing each eatery in the collection. 

Wonder meals are mostly prepped in a New Jersey central commissary, then finished onsite in each physical location, using compact, bare-minimum, ventless kitchens. Wonder has its own restaurant brands, but the collection also includes a bevy of menus from celebrity-chef partners like Bobby Flay, Marcus  Samuelsson, Nancy Silverton, and José Andrés. The company handles everything in-house — from menu, to cooking, to delivery — which allows oversight of food quality and delivery times. In addition to purchasing Blue Apron, Wonder also acquired Grubstreet to jumpstart app-based deliveries.

After "meal kits" for each restaurant are dispersed from the central kitchen to established Wonder locations, you can choose from as many as 500 menu items from individual chefs and restaurants. They include the likes of Tejas Barbecue from Texas, Southern seafood from acclaimed chef and author JJ Johnson, and Di Faro Pizza in Brooklyn, known as Anthony Bourdain's favorite NYC pizza spot. 

Let's be clear that Wonder isn't some pie-in-the-sky dream from a novice investor; the operation comes from e-commerce wiz Marc Lore, a seasoned entrepreneur who co‑founded Quidsi, the company behind Diapers.com which Amazon bought for about $545 million. Lore sold Jet.com to Walmart for billions, then spent several years transforming the retail giant's e-commerce presence. And that's just a few of Lore's ventures spanning 20-plus years. Then came Wonder, the virtual food hall with investors such as AMEX Ventures, Googles Ventures, Accel, Forerunner, and more. 

As of mid‑2025, Wonder operates in more than 50 locations throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., with plans for at least 90 venues by year's end. If you're ready to jump into this multi-faceted dining foray, choose your meal from one or multiple eateries on the Wonder app or company website, then specify pickup or delivery — but be aware that delivery is currently only available in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. There's also a burgeoning pilot partnership with Walmart for smaller operations inside its stores. 

It all sound WONDERful, right? By most accounts, it solves many pressing issues with restaurant deliveries, as well as facilitating an enhanced experience for those dining at home. There are, however, some concerns over the displacement of smaller local restaurants, who must now compete with renowned food and chefs, as well as unique regional cuisine from across the country.