Wonder has built its off-prem model around variety, speed and kitchen precision.
A 2026 Food On Demand Outstanding Operator, the company operates 115 locations across the Northeast.
Wonder’s model brings 30 restaurant concepts under one roof, including exclusive menus from chef partners like Bobby Flay and José Andrés, allowing guests to order multiple cuisines in a single delivery.
“We’re trying to give customers what they really want,” said Jason Rusk, executive vice president of restaurant operations at Wonder. “The more options that people have, that you can deliver great quality food on, the more likely they are to return over and over again.”
For off-prem sales mix, about 60 percent comes from delivery, with the rest primarily stemming from carryout.
The company groups menu items by cooking process so multiple concepts can move through shared stations and finish together. Automation helps route and sequence items across the kitchen, while Infinite Kitchen technology, added through Wonder’s 2025 acquisition of Spyce, brings another layer of efficiency, consistency and order accuracy.
“That technology is aggregating the food, telling you exactly what spot to put it in, so that as different things are coming from different parts of the kitchen, everything is sequenced as close as possible so it is ready at the same time,” Rusk said.
That central kitchen and in-store finishing model also helps the company scale new concepts and acquire brands quickly, including Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, the first fully owned brand acquisition in the portfolio.
Wonder’s acquisition of Grubhub expanded marketplace and fleet access for restaurant partners and gave guests another way to order delivery.
At the same time, the Wonder app remains a major focus for first-party ordering, where guests can combine multiple cuisines into a single delivery. That direct channel produces deeper guest data, helping guide menu decisions, packaging updates and personalized offers.
“It’s based on your past purchase behaviors, what you’ve searched before, what’s important to you,” Rusk said, discussing the Wonder app. “That’s all customized to the individual.”
Recently, Wonder began testing drone delivery at its Green Brook, New Jersey, location through Grubhub and Dexa.
As the company continues to expand, Rusk said the biggest operational focus remains food integrity from kitchen handoff through final delivery.
“The time from when the food is ready to when the person starts eating it is the most important thing from a food-quality perspective,” he said.
The Outstanding Operators Program highlights 20 innovative brands taking creative paths to success with all things off-premises. Each winner receives a $1,000 charitable donation to their organization of choice and will be recognized on-stage at the 2026 Food On Demand Conference. Register today!
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