Case Study
March 20, 2018

Glowing Reviews

In seeking to acquire the iconic restaurant guide Zagat, restaurant discovery platform The Infatuation turned to Goodwin’s Technology Group to pull off the planned acquisition from Google which purchased Zagat in 2011.

Challenge

It’s not often a famous brand like Zagat becomes available, so when The Infatuation’s co-founder and CEO Chris Stang heard Google was potentially seeking buyers for the esteemed Zagat guide, he jumped at the chance to make it part of The Infatuation family.

Approach

The Infatuation covers the dining scene in major cities in United States and abroad, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, and Seattle. Founded in 1979, Zagat’s has been a revolution in user-generated content. Goodwin’s team worked to ensure a seamless acquisition, advising The Infatuation on everything from tax implications and compensation considerations, to intellectual property and licensing matters.

Outcome

Together, the two brands will provide quality and diverse dining recommendations. Through its powerful website, mobile app, messaging and social media channels, The Infatuation is now positioned to introduce Zagat to its highly engaged and millennial audience. Additionally, the company will invest heavily in building Zagat into a user-generated platform that will live alongside The Infatuation's high quality, editorial driven reviews and guides. Zagat’s offerings will also be expanded internationally, furthering The Infatuation’s mission to become the world’s largest, most influential and most useful restaurant discovery platform.