Google Dumps Zagat

The Infatuation, the restaurant discovery platform, announced Monday (March 5) it is acquiring the restaurant review brand Zagat from Google, nearly seven years after it paid $151 million for it.

In a press release, The Infatuation said that adding Zagat’s brand to its website, mobile app and messaging will help it expand as it aims to become a heavy hitter in the restaurant discovery market.

“We’re thrilled by this opportunity to acquire such a pioneering and trusted restaurant guide as Zagat,” Chris Stang, co-founder and CEO of The Infatuation, said in a press release announcing the deal. “Iconic brands don’t become available very often, and Zagat is about as iconic as it gets. It is the perfect complement to what we have been building at The Infatuation.”

Once the deal closes, Zagat will operate as its own brand, with its own platform. The Infatuation will retain its editorial-first focus, producing reviews and guides while focusing on mobile and social media, as Zagat expands user surveys and creates a new technology-driven platform for restaurant reviews.

“Tim and I are very excited for Zagat’s next chapter with The Infatuation,” said Nina Zagat in the same press release. “Their innovative approach, and their passion for helping people discover great restaurants and for building community, lines up exactly with what we built with Zagat from the very beginning.”

For The Infatuation, which has been around for nine years, the acquisition of Zagat is seen as a way to raise awareness of the company and its services. But it remains to be seen if Zagat still has the same clout and relevance in this mobile, social media-driven world. After all, it doesn’t get more tech-focused than Google, who is selling the business.

“Zagat has helped us provide useful and relevant dining results for users across our various products,” said Jen Fitzpatrick, VP of product and engineering for Google. “The Infatuation is an innovative company that will be a terrific home for the Zagat brand.”