Wonder, the parent company of food delivery giant Grubhub, this week announced it acquired Claim, a rapidly growing restaurant rewards and discovery platform. The deal marks a strategic expansion for Grubhub as it moves beyond the doorstep to help its merchants drive physical foot traffic and cultivate long-term “regulars.”
Claim, founded in 2021 by Sam Obletz and Tap Stephenson, has gained popularity for its “weekly ritual” approach to dining. The app uses a unique model called “The Drop,” where users receive personalized, high-intent rewards every Thursday to discover new local favorites.
The acquisition integrates Claim’s proprietary technology into Grubhub’s massive ecosystem, which serves nearly 20 million diners across 4,000 U.S. cities. For restaurant owners, the partnership offers a performance-based marketing tool that tracks real in-store purchases without the need for additional hardware or operational changes.
Key features of the integrated platform include:
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Seamless transactions: Qualifying in-person purchases are automatically recognized at the point of payment; no QR codes or scanning are required.
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Cash-back incentives: Diners receive automatic cash back via Venmo after visiting a participating restaurant.
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Data-driven discovery: Machine learning models analyze ordering behavior to match diners with restaurants they are most likely to love.
Under the new ownership, the “The Drop” experience will remain a core feature but will benefit from Grubhub’s extensive merchant network. This means more personalized offers and a wider variety of restaurants in more neighborhoods.
“We’re committed to helping our restaurant partners build thriving businesses—both on and beyond our platform,” Howard Migdal, CEO of Grubhub said. “Claim’s innovative rewards technology introduces a powerful new way for our partners to engage in-person diners.”
The Claim experience will be available immediately to Grubhub merchants and diners in New York City, with a planned nationwide expansion throughout 2026. Current Claim users can continue using the standalone app for the time being, though a “streamlined experience” across both the Grubhub and Claim apps is expected in the coming months.
“Joining Grubhub marks an exciting new chapter,” Obletz, CEO of Claim said. “We’re scaling to reach millions more diners and thousands of restaurants, helping them find their next regulars effortlessly.”
