Amex to buy European restaurant platform TheFork for $700M

American Express  has agreed to buy TheFork, a European restaurant booking platform, from Tripadvisor for $700 million in cash.

TheFork runs a reservation and restaurant-management platform connecting diners with more than 50,000 restaurants across 11 European countries, plus a consumer app and website for finding and booking tables. It was founded in 2007 and will keep its current leadership team after the deal closes.

The purchase follows Amex’s earlier acquisitions of dining platforms Resy and Tock. Combined, the three are expected to give Amex roughly 75,000 bookable venues. The company is framing the move as a way to deepen dining perks for Card Members in Europe and grow its international business.

“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.” – Rafa Marquez, President of International Card Services at American Express.

Amex expects the deal to close before the end of 2026, pending a labor consultation process and regulatory approvals.

Bottom Line: Dining is how Amex cardholders engage with the brand. For most carriers, the equivalent touchpoint is the claim, where the best possible outcome is a promise kept. One relationship is built on upside; the other is capped at meeting expectations.