Google has owned Zagat Since 2011. Zagat came under Google ownership mostly to push the local search efforts of the search giant. After six long years of collaboration, Google finally thinks that it’s the right time to offload the restaurant review guide.
Google has held several informal meetings with various companies over the issue. The search giant is yet to put an official price tag on the restaurant guide. There has been no official clarification, declaration, or advertising regarding the sale of Zagat.
It is rumored that the sale would include Zagat’s brand name and website only. The information and reviews gained by Google over the years would definitely not be a part of the deal, although the tech giant will use them in its Maps application.
Back in 2011, when Google bought the restaurant guide for a whopping $151 million, it seemed that they might have some grand plans for Zagat. The deal was closed by former Yahoo CEO and Google executive Marissa Mayer.
Moving forward, Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local offering — delighting people with their impressive array of reviews, ratings, and insights, while enabling people everywhere to find extraordinary (and ordinary) experiences around the corner and around the world. – Former Yahoo CEO and Google executive Marissa Mayer
Things, though seem to have not gone according to his plan, Google was successful in integrating Zagat into its Maps and Search features. But with the increasing number of reviews, Google does not find Zagat to be that much use anymore. The sale of Zagat would also help the Alphabet’s plan of shedding the non-core assets in order to streamline the business.
Zagat relies mostly on the curation and local guides. It contains editorial content about restaurants located only in major cities around the US. Google, as of now, has gone way beyond that, which might very well be why Google does not require Zagat anymore.
