Wonder's $9B Bet: Robotics Inside 150 Real Restaurant Kitchens

A restaurant operator building its own automation

Wonder, the food technology platform founded by former Walmart eCommerce chief Marc Lore, is taking an unusual approach to restaurant automation: it's developing and testing robotics inside its own rapidly expanding chain of multi-concept kitchens.

The company now operates more than 150 locations where individual kitchens produce food from over 20 different restaurant brands under one roof. In July, Wonder raised $650 million at a $9 billion pre-money valuation to fund continued expansion and deeper investment in robotics and AI. It also owns delivery marketplace Grubhub, acquired in January 2025 for $650 million.

What distinguishes Wonder from typical restaurant technology vendors is that it runs the kitchens where its automation will be deployed. Its teams cook, serve customers, and manage the operational realities of labor costs, throughput, and equipment reliability every day.

Why it matters

Most restaurant automation comes from suppliers who sell equipment but don't operate restaurants themselves. Wonder can test technology in its own kitchens, observe how staff actually use it, iterate based on real workflow problems, and apply those lessons to the next location it builds. That feedback loop could accelerate practical automation far faster than traditional equipment development cycles.

Acquiring proven kitchen robotics

In December 2025, Wonder acquired Spyce and its Infinite Kitchen technology from Sweetgreen for $186.4 million in cash and stock. Critically, 30 Sweetgreen restaurants were already using Infinite Kitchen systems at the time of the transaction, meaning Wonder bought technology with a commercial track record.

Wonder plans to install Infinite Kitchen in a Manhattan location during 2026 and aims to equip half of all new kitchens with the technology starting in 2027, according to statements following the acquisition.

The company is actively hiring culinary operations managers for its robotics team to integrate new systems into existing workflows, measure throughput, and develop equipment for tasks including sauce preparation and ingredient handling.

Automating processes, not replacing humans wholesale

Lore's strategy focuses on automating specific kitchen processes rather than waiting for humanoid robots capable of replicating all human tasks. He has identified specialist systems for sauces, beverages, ingredient retrieval, and cooking equipment as near-term opportunities, while acknowledging that tasks requiring fine dexterity—like rolling burritos or assembling burgers—may remain human work for another decade.

The goal is productivity gains within existing teams. Lore described a scenario in May where Infinite Kitchen and further automation could enable the same kitchen workforce to handle roughly three times the current food volume. Wonder's Chief Culinary Officer John Li frames robotics as handling repetitive and physically demanding work, freeing staff for quality control and customer interaction.

Autonomous delivery through multiple channels

Through Grubhub, Wonder launched autonomous sidewalk delivery with Serve Robotics in August, covering over 100 merchants in Chicago and nearly 200 in Los Angeles, plus Wonder's own Virginia location. It's also working with Avride on autonomous delivery, which completed almost 235,000 deliveries at Ohio State University during the 2025–26 academic year using 125 robots.

Wonder expects to begin autonomous drone delivery via Zipline from Texas locations in January 2027, with kitchen infrastructure and logistics being designed from the start to accommodate aerial delivery.

The employment question

Wonder confirmed this week it is reducing its workforce by approximately 7%—around 150 roles across corporate teams including some at Grubhub. The company stated the restructuring allows it to focus resources on physical expansion and technology investment, though there's no indication AI or robotics directly replaced these positions.

Meanwhile, Wonder's Texas expansion alone is expected to create thousands of jobs as it moves toward more than 100 locations there by the end of 2027.

What operators should watch

The ultimate test will be economic: how much additional output does automation enable, what does it cost, how reliable is it, and how quickly does the investment pay back? Those answers will emerge as Wonder scales its technology across more kitchens.

Details were first reported by Hospitality and Catering News.