• by Melynda Fuller , March 6, 2018

Restaurant discovery platform The Infatuation announced yesterday that it purchased Zagat from Google for an undisclosed amount. The company also hinted at a reboot of the burgundy-colored restaurant guides.

By acquiring Zagat, The Infatuation, launched in 2009, adds to its already far-reaching platform, which includes a website and mobile app, in addition to a robust messaging and social network.

The Infatuation and Zagat will continue to work as separate brands with distinct missions, with The Infatuation continuing to publish its signature “situational” reviews and guides. However, the platform plans to utilize Zagat as way to expand user surveys and develop a new tech-driven platform.

While outlets like Yelp have proven rivals to Zagat over the years, the iconic name brings with it an authority developed over decades. The Infatuation plans to introduce the Zagat brand to its millennial-heavy audience, while also growing its international reach.

The Infatuation stated that it plans to bring back Zagat’s once-ubiquitous printed restaurant guides. Last year was the first in which they weren’t printed.

Nina Zagat stated that The Infatuation’s passion for helping people discover great restaurants and building community "lines up exactly with what we built with Zagat from the very beginning."

Zagat, founded in 1979 by Tim and Nina Zagat, covered 90 cities worldwide at its height. It was sold to Google in 2011 for $151 million.

Just two years ago, Google redesigned Zagat’s website and app. It originally purchased the brand to incorporate it into its mapping products. However, in the ensuing years, Google has begun to focus on its own proprietary source reviews and rating content.