Wonder Buys Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken to Expand Own-Brand Restaurant Portfolio

New updates have been reported about Wonder.

Wonder has acquired New York City-based fast-casual chain Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken from Blue Ribbon Restaurants, securing full ownership of the brand, its Manhattan restaurant, and existing staff as part of a strategy to control and scale proprietary restaurant concepts across its mealtime platform. Founder and CEO Marc Lore said the deal allows Wonder to leverage Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken’s loyal following while advancing its mission to make high-quality food more widely accessible.

The East Village location will continue normal operations with no immediate changes and will remain available on third-party delivery apps, preserving existing revenue channels while Wonder prepares to integrate the concept more deeply into its ecosystem. Wonder plans to introduce Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken as an in-line concept at a Wonder location in New York City in 2026, then roll it out to additional sites, positioning the brand alongside other chef-driven offerings such as Streetbird, Detroit Brick Pizza, and Royal Greens, all available for multi-restaurant ordering in a single transaction.

Originally created by chefs Eric and Bruce Bromberg as a dedicated spin-off of a signature dish at Blue Ribbon Brasserie, Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken brings fine-dining roots to a fast-casual format that fits Wonder’s model of curating recognized, award-winning brands. Chef Bruce Bromberg stated that the sale marks a new chapter for the concept and expressed confidence in Wonder’s ability to scale the brand without diluting what makes it distinctive. For Wonder, the acquisition deepens its portfolio of owned brands, enhances differentiation versus pure marketplace delivery platforms, and supports cross-selling and higher order values across its combined assets, which include Blue Apron, Grubhub, Relay, Tastemade, Spyce, and Claim.