By Shealagh Sullivan, Belmont Voice staff
Wonder, a nation-wide food delivery app and restaurant, officially opened three Massachusetts locations Feb. 12, including one in Belmont.
“I think the team overall is in great spirits,” said Pat Cartier, Wonder’s marketing director for New England.
The fast-casual restaurant at 493 Trapelo Road was buzzing with excitement during the grand opening, which welcomed locals to come in and try the food — and some other Massachusetts-inspired goodies.
Bellmont Caffe supplied hot cocoa, Mike’s Pastry served freshly filled pistachio cannoli, and Harpoon Brewery gave out small tastes of its brews to those 21 and over. Lil Sweet Treat, a Boston-based store specializing in European candy, had a stand for people to fill a custom bag of gummy candy.
Wonder has locations in a dozen states, including New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut, as well as Washington, D.C. In addition to its locations in Belmont, Natick and Framingham, the company plans to open six new restaurants in Massachusetts early this year.
With options ranging from American to Mediterranean to Asian, Cartier said to think of the restaurant as “a food app that solves the mealtime dilemma.”
By partnering with well-known chefs and local restaurants, Wonder offers a range of cuisines. People can order from Wonder’s multitude of virtual in-house restaurants, or from local spots or chain restaurants. The virtual restaurants range from Bellies, a kid-oriented menu offering chicken tenders and mac and cheese, to a steakhouse concept created by renowned chef Bobby Flay.
In addition to its focus on environmentally friendly packaging and organic food sourcing, Cartier said the company strives to reduce food waste and insecurity in its locations’ communities. It recently partnered with Spoonfuls, a nonprofit food rescue organization based in Massachusetts, donating more than 1,000 meals to shelters throughout the state. Wonder is also donating a portion of this week’s proceeds to the Greater Boston Food Bank.
“Giving back to the community and making sure that we take care of people who don’t have that access to some great quality food is really important to us,” Cartier said.
Wonder will be open Sunday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
