COMMERCE TECH

Google on its way to sell Zagat

Google bought Zagat in 2011 for $151 million and integrated its reviews into online search results. Seven years hence, Google is selling off the restaurant recommendation service. The company is selling off Zagat to The Infatuation, a review site founded in 2009 by former music execs from Warner Bros. and Atlantic Records.

Google has been growing its database of restaurant recommendations organically and hence Zagat was of less of a focus for the company. In its statement about the sale, Google praised Zagat for helping to “provide useful and relevant dining results for users across our various products,” and added that the Infatuation “is an innovative company that will be a terrific home for the Zagat brand.”

The Infatuation is present in 18 cities, with each city having a dedicated Instagram account. The company uses an in-house team of reviewers to write up restaurants in major cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and London. Zagat is being picked up for an undisclosed amount.