American Express to acquire restaurant reservations platform TheFork

American Express is poised to acquire online restaurant bookings platform TheFork in a $700m (£521m) all-cash transaction.

It comes after TheFork’s current owner, Tripadvisor, stated it would explore strategic alternatives for the reservations platform, which operates in more than 50,000 restaurants across 11 European countries.

The proposed acquisition of TheFork strengthens American Express’ broader dining strategy, following on from its recent acquisitions of digital dining platforms Resy in 2019 and Tock in 2024.

The deal would also support the expansion of American Express’ international business, which it described as a major driver of the firm’s overall growth.

Meanwhile, Tripadvisor stated the sale would enable the global travel guidance platform to accelerate its capital return policy, maintain a “well-capitalised balance sheet” and continue investing in its Experiences business, which is marketed towards tour and activity providers.

Rafa Marquez, president of international card services at American Express, said: “Dining is one of the most important ways people engage with our brand. Over time, the proposed acquisition would help us enrich our differentiated membership model by offering card members more ways to discover, book and access great restaurants, while helping our partners reach more diners and grow their businesses.

“TheFork has built a successful platform across Europe with strong relationships throughout the restaurant industry that would complement our existing capabilities. We look forward to supporting TheFork’s continued growth and building on its success as we strengthen our dining presence across Europe.”

Matt Goldberg, chief executive of Tripadvisor group, added: “This agreement reflects two things we believe deeply: the tangible value across Tripadvisor Group’s portfolio and our ongoing focus on the opportunity we see ahead in Experiences.

“We’re proud of what we’ve built with TheFork and grateful for the team’s work to secure a leading position in European dining. I’m confident that we’ve found an ideal home for them and look forward to expanding our relationship with American Express in the future.”

Almir Ambeskovic, chief executive officer of TheFork, commented: “With Tripadvisor’s support, we’ve built one of Europe’s leading dining platforms. American Express shares our commitment to innovation, service and hospitality. Together, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate our mission, bringing even more value to restaurants while creating richer and more seamless experiences for millions of diners across Europe.”

The proposed transaction is expected to close before the end of 2026, subject to labour consultation and regulatory approvals.

TheFork will continue to operate under its existing leadership team while receiving backing from American Express, should the deal go ahead.

As of the first quarter of 2026, revenue for TheFork over the last 12 months was $232m (£173m) and adjusted EBITDA for the same period was $28m (£21m). 

TheFork was founded in 2007, initially as LaFourchette, by Bertrand Jelensperger, and in 2014 it was acquired by Tripadvisor Media Group.