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Tripadvisor has agreed to sell TheFork, its European restaurant reservation and management platform, to American Express in an all-cash transaction valued at $700 million.
The agreement, announced today, comes just months after Tripadvisor revealed in February 2026 that it was exploring strategic alternatives for TheFork. The sale marks the end of Tripadvisor’s more than decade-long ownership of the restaurant booking platform and will allow the company to sharpen its focus on its growing Experiences business. The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, labor consultations, and other customary closing conditions.
For American Express, the acquisition represents another major investment in dining and hospitality. TheFork currently connects millions of diners with more than 50,000 restaurants across 11 European countries through its reservation platform, restaurant management software, and consumer-facing booking app and website.
The acquisition builds on American Express’ existing dining portfolio, which already includes restaurant reservation platforms Resy and Tock. Combined, American Express expects its dining ecosystem to grow to approximately 75,000 bookable venues worldwide. The company views dining as an increasingly important component of its premium cardholder value proposition, which helps provide access to sought-after restaurants while strengthening customer engagement and loyalty.
TheFork’s strong European footprint makes the acquisition particularly attractive for American Express as it continues to expand its international business. Founded in 2007, TheFork has established itself as one of Europe’s leading restaurant technology platforms, offering reservation management, guest engagement tools, and operational software designed to help restaurants grow and manage their businesses more efficiently. At the same time, consumers benefit from a streamlined platform for discovering and booking restaurants across multiple countries. American Express believes adding TheFork will significantly strengthen its dining offerings across Europe while creating new opportunities for card members and restaurant partners.
Following completion of the transaction, TheFork is expected to continue operating under its current leadership team. American Express said the platform will benefit from the company’s global scale and resources while maintaining continuity for restaurant partners and diners. The acquisition also builds on the existing relationship between Tripadvisor and American Express. Both companies have indicated there may be future opportunities to collaborate in ways that create additional value for travelers.
The transaction appears to align with the strategic goals of both organizations. Tripadvisor gains substantial liquidity to support shareholder returns and further investment in its Experiences business while American Express expands a growing dining portfolio that has become an increasingly important part of its premium travel and lifestyle ecosystem.
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.”
Almir Ambeskovic, Chief Executive Officer of TheFork, added:
TheFork was created to help restaurants thrive and to make it easier for diners to discover and enjoy great restaurants. 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.”
Anthony’s Take: TheFork is expected to officially become part of American Express before the end of 2026, creating one of the world’s largest restaurant reservation networks and further cementing American Express’ position as a major player in the global dining space.
(Image Credits: American Express and TheFork.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
