Marc Lore's Wonder Automates Food Production with Robotics, Eyes IPO
Entrepreneur Marc Lore's food-tech startup, Wonder, is utilizing robotic kitchens to significantly increase food production efficiency. These automated systems can produce 500 bowls per hour, a substantial increase compared to an estimated 30-45 bowls a human worker might produce. Wonder, a vertically integrated food platform, operates 26 restaurant brands and acquired GrubHub in 2025, aiming to serve diverse regions cost-effectively.
Marc Lore, chairman and CEO of food-tech startup Wonder, stated that an automated robotic kitchen can produce 500 salads, Tex-Mex, and poke bowls per hour. He noted that a human worker could likely make no more than 30 to 45 bowls in the same timeframe.
Lore, who previously sold Diapers.com and Jet to Amazon and Walmart respectively, founded Wonder in 2018. The company employs an "infinite bowl-making machine" technology, acquired from salad chain Sweetgreen, which spins bowls on a turntable while ingredients are precisely dispensed based on online orders. This technology is already in use across 32 Sweetgreen locations and is set to debut in a Wonder kitchen next month.
Wonder functions as a vertically integrated food platform, owning 26 restaurant brands, including a Bobby Flay steakhouse. Following its acquisition of GrubHub in 2025 for $650 million, Wonder also manages its kitchens and handles delivery. Lore explained that this integrated model allows Wonder to serve regions that might not support larger fast-casual chains, leading to potentially lower prices due to consolidated margins.
Examples of pricing include a 10-ounce Bobby Flay steak for $36 and bowls for under $10. Lore added that Wonder can operate 26 restaurants late into the night with only three staff members: one for the hotline, one for finishing dishes, and one for delivery handoffs.
Lore intends for Wonder to become a prominent public company, aiming for an IPO early next year, though market conditions will influence the timing. He seeks to build a "long-standing, legacy business" with a competitive advantage.
Future plans include an "infinite sauce machine" capable of producing 500 sauces per hour from 152 ingredients, and an "infinite beverage machine" slated for next year. Wonder also plans to introduce "Wonder Create," a feature allowing users to generate branded restaurant concepts with AI prompts for a monthly fee.
According to Fortune, Lore spoke at the 25th annual Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen.
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