Aug. 20, 2024 By sobrien
Photo via Instagram @wonder
Aug. 20, 2024 by Shane O’Brien
Wonder, a food delivery platform that connects customers with high-quality chefs and restaurants in the US, is set to open locations in Astoria and Jackson Heights in the fall.
The food technology start-up, founded by entrepreneur Marc Lore in 2018, will open an Astoria location at 25-33 Broadway in September and has signed a ten-year lease for a 4,419-square-foot space at the Heritage Tower at 82-11 37th Ave. in Jackson Heights, which is set to open in October.
Wonder operates several locations across New York City, providing delivery, pick-up and dine-in services.
The “fast fine” food delivery platform provides high-quality meals created by some of the country’s most recognizable chefs and restaurants, including Bobby Flay, Jose Andres and Nancy Silverton, as well as multiple award-winning restaurants.
Wonder strives to prepare and deliver freshly made meals within 30 minutes of ordering, with all food made to order at Wonder locations. The platform allows customers to combine orders from a variety of popular restaurants, which are all delivered or picked up from the same Wonder location.
The company provides culinary options from dozens of highly recognizable restaurant brands, such as Tejas Barbecue, burger joint Fred’s Meat & Bread and Mexican eatery Limesalt.
A Wonder spokesperson said the company aims to make “great food more accessible,” adding Wonder is looking forward to entering the Queens market.
“This is an exciting moment for Wonder,” a company spokesperson said. “As a company founded in the tri-state area, a presence in each borough is important to us. We’re thrilled to bring the Wonder experience to Queens, and we can’t wait to become a part of the community.”
The spokesperson added that more than 20 restaurants will operate out of the two Queens locations when they open later in the year.
Wonder Group also recently secured the acquisition of meal-kit company Blue Apron for $103 million, with Blue Apron meal kits now available through the Wonder app.
The company currently operates 15 stores across New York City, Westchester, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and aims to end 2024 with a total of 35 stores.
Wonder will open a location at the Heritage Tower in Jackson Heights this October. Photo courtesy of RockFarmer Properties
The Heritage Tower, a recently renovated 9-story building in Jackson Heights, is owned by RockFarmer Properties, a Douglaston-based development company. Current tenants at the property include low-cost health facility Apicha Community Health Center and construction firm Judlau Contracting, while fast food chain Shake Shack is set to open at the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Bleuler Psychotherapy Center Inc., which aims to provide high-quality, low-cost psychotherapeutic services to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families, has also signed a ten-year lease at the Heritage Tower.
Bleuler, which currently operates offices in Forest Hills and Jackson Heights, has leased a 6,780-square-foot space on the ninth floor of the Heritage Tower for general and executive office space. The company hopes to move in later this year pending completion of the office build out.
The two new leases, totaling 11,199 square feet, bring the 135,000-square-foot mixed-use building to 95% leased.
John C. Petras, managing principal of RockFarmer Properties, said it is encouraging to see such a high level of occupied space at the Heritage Tower.
“Heritage Tower continues to see strong retail and office leasing momentum,” Petras said in a statement. “RockFarmer Properties continues to be bullish on well-located niche office buildings in New York City.”
First opened in 1998, the Heritage Tower underwent a $4 million renovation in 2019, including upgrades to the building’s lobby area and 3-story atrium. Renovation work also included the addition of turn-key incubator spaces for small businesses and entrepreneurs on the lower level.