American Express has announced that it has made an offer to acquire TheFork, one of Europe’s leading online platforms for finding and managing restaurant bookings, from Tripadvisor, with the aim of strengthening its offering in the European restaurant sector.
TheFork connects millions of users with over 50,000 restaurants across 11 European countries via its platform for managing bookings, customer relations and restaurant operations, supported by an app and a website for discovering and booking restaurants.
The proposed acquisition forms part of American Express’s broader strategy in the restaurant sector and follows the success of its acquisitions of Resy and Tock. Taken together, these platforms are expected to enable American Express to expand its network to around 75,000 bookable restaurants (figures relating to the number of restaurants are based on internal surveys by American Express and TheFork updated as of June 2026. Survey methodologies may differ across platforms, and the aggregated data represent the company’s estimates as at the date of the announcement)
Through the proposed acquisition of TheFork, American Express would strengthen its dining offering in Europe and its ability to provide cardholders and consumers with access to highly sought-after restaurants, whilst supporting the growth of its international business, one of the group’s key growth drivers.
“The restaurant sector is one of the main areas through which people come into contact with our brand,” says Rafa Marquez, President of International Card Services at American Express, in a statement “Over time, the proposed acquisition would enable us to strengthen our distinctive 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 players in the restaurant sector that would enhance our current range of services. We are excited about the prospect of supporting TheFork’s growth and building on its success, whilst strengthening our presence in the European restaurant sector.’
“TheFork was founded with the aim of supporting the growth of restaurants and making it easier for consumers to discover and book excellent restaurants,” says Almir Ambeskovic, Chief Executive Officer of TheFork. “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 a unique opportunity to accelerate our mission, creating even more value for restaurants and offering increasingly rich and seamless experiences to millions of users across Europe.”
Founded in 2007, TheFork provides restaurateurs with solutions for managing bookings, engaging with customers and optimising operational activities, helping to improve business performance whilst ensuring a seamless booking experience for customers.
Following the completion of the transaction, TheFork would continue to operate under the current management team, whilst benefiting from American Express’s global reach and support capabilities.
The proposed transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, subject to the consultation procedures required under employment legislation and the usual conditions applicable to transactions of this nature, including the necessary regulatory approvals. Under the terms of the proposal, American Express will acquire TheFork from Tripadvisor for a consideration of $700 million, to be paid entirely in cash and subject to customary price adjustments (photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash).
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