Braking News — September 2011
Google Acquires Zagat
Google has acquired Zagat, one of the most well-known names in restaurant reviews. Zagat is best known for its small guidebooks (the dead-tree sort) that offer reviews and recommendations on restaurants around the world. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Zagat was founded back in 1979, and, according to the company, now includes ratings and reviews submitted by 350,000 ‘surveyors’ — its own consumers submit content for use in future guidebooks. In recent years the company has moved its reviews online as well, and it offers mobile applications for the top smartphone platforms. Much of their online content was locked behind a paywall for some time, but Zagat relaunched its website in February to include far more free content.
In 2008 Zagat reportedly put itself up for sale with an asking price of around $200 million, but subsequently took itself off the market (at least, until now).
The move is part of Google’s mission to improve its local products, which are now run by Google VP Marissa Mayer (Mayer has long been one of the most public faces at the company, and was head of Search for a decade).
Google had previously been in talks to acquire Yelp in late 2009, but those discussions fell through.