Wonder sells restaurant choice, but investors see a technology platform

CNBC examines the automated kitchens, delivery network and creator-made brands behind Marc Lore's dining ambitions.

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CNBC Story of October 30, 2026Trari Newsroom

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Why Investors Love Wonder

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0:00Wonder combines dozens of restaurant concepts in one location, using Spyce automation to prepare a wide menu.
2:26Lore distinguishes Wonder from ghost kitchens through its control of cooking, delivery, storefronts and apps.
4:10Investor appeal rests on potential kitchen economics and a system that can support many restaurant brands.
5:08Wonder Create allows creators and other third parties to launch virtual restaurant brands on the platform.
6:20Expansion requires expensive infrastructure, while acquisitions have brought reported losses.
7:23CNBC's taste test brings some favorable food reactions, alongside criticism of the half-hour wait.

CNBC puts Wonder's expansive restaurant menu through a simple test: order lunch and wait for it. The food gets some favorable remarks from the reporting team, but the half-hour wait exposes a practical challenge for a company promising to make dining more accessible.

In "Why Investors Love Wonder," reporter Amelia Lucas examines why investors have put more than $3 billion behind a business that combines food halls, delivery and kitchen automation. The appeal isn't just the possibility of selling another bowl or sandwich. It's owning the machinery and infrastructure that could serve many restaurant brands from the same kitchen.

Founder Marc Lore draws that distinction himself: "We own the delivery, we own the cooking, we own the restaurants, we have a physical brick and mortar, and we have our own app."

Wonder began with mobile food trucks before moving into physical locations. Its business now includes Blue Apron and Grubhub, while Spyce supplies automated kitchen technology. Restaurant Business editor Joe Guszkowski argues that making the robotic kitchens work could ultimately become the bigger opportunity.

There's also a route for creators: Wonder Create lets third parties launch virtual fast-casual brands using the company's system. Rather than building a kitchen from scratch, they can put a restaurant concept onto an existing operation.

The report's counterweight is cost. Building that infrastructure requires substantial capital, and CNBC examines reported losses following acquisitions alongside the challenge of attracting customers. Viewers pick up on the same tension: several distinguish investor enthusiasm from consumer demand, while others question whether a broad menu can match a restaurant that specializes. For Wonder, the technology pitch still has to arrive as a meal people want to order again.

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What viewers say

Notice how they say investors and not consumers?
@theguypersondudeSee it on YouTube
People always prefer a restaurant that does 1 thing great over 100 things at just edible.
@michaeljoyce6492See it on YouTube
I ordered from Wonder once. I felt the wait time was more than whats good for me. Never returned. I like to order food where I can see it prepared.
@pamperedgurlSee it on YouTube

Public comments from the video's page on YouTube