The basics:
- Wonder launches Pop Salad, El Diez Mexican Bowls, featuring full meals for $10 or less
- Debuts Feb. 9 in Springfield, Feb. 11 in Hoboken; Northeast rollout planned
- Pop Salad offers customizable salads; El Diez features Mexican rice bowls with toppings
- Wonder operates about 90 locations, with 26 in New Jersey; aims for 1,000 outposts by 2029
Fast-growing food hall and delivery concept Wonder is rolling out two new concepts that offer full meals for $10 or less.
The new additions are scheduled to launch this week at 15 locations across the Northeast. Pop Salad and El Diez Mexican Bowls are “designed to make everyday bowls and salads feel more craveable, satisfying and affordable,” according to Wonder.
The concept will debut Feb. 9 in Springfield and Feb. 11 in Hoboken. A broader launch is planned for 13 sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Long Island and Philadelphia, the company said.
In a press release, Wonder said its new additions are “built around bold flavor, full-size portions and transparent, buzzworthy pricing.”
Fast-casual that’s ‘flavorful, filling & fun’
“Backed by Wonder’s culinary platform and fresh ingredients delivered daily, Pop Salad and El Diez prove that fast-casual value doesn’t have to mean cutting corners – it can still be flavorful, filling and fun,” the platform added.
Pop Salad’s menu of “full-sized, sauce-forward, crunchy, indulgent builds” includes cobb salad, spicy ranch salad and build-your-own salad. A complete meal includes toppings and proteins, as well as a drink, Wonder said.
El Diez focuses on full-size portions of Mexican rice bowls prepared with bold sauces and extras like guacamole and queso. Standout items include red chile carnitas, steak fajita and chicken queso. Tortilla chips and a drink come as part of the meal, too, Wonder said.
Following this week’s launch, Wonder plans to bring these concepts to additional locations in the future, a spokesperson told NJBIZ.
No small wonder
Billionaire entrepreneur Marc Lore founded Wonder in 2018. At the time, the business revolved around mobile kitchens that prepared chef-designed meals outside customers’ homes. But Wonder shifted in 2023 to physical locations featuring options from restaurants it has licensing deals with.
Wonder’s available menus include:
Limesalt, Tejas Barbecue, Fred’s Meat & Bread, Yasas by Michael Symon, Streetbird by Marcus Samuelsson, Burger Baby, Wing Trip, Alanza Pizza, Room for Dessert, Detroit Brick Pizza Co., Royal Greens, Hanu Poke, Di Fara Pizza, Bellies (kids), Bobby Flay Steak, The Mainstay by Marc Murphy, Walnut Lane and Maydan.
Wonder currently has roughly 90 locations. The shops let customers choose from a collection of nearly two dozen acclaimed chefs and eateries. Everything is then made-to-order for delivery, pickup or limited dining in.
Within New Jersey, Wonder has 26 spots. It expects to bring its next three sites (Wayne, Ocean Township and Emerson) online this spring.
To support its goal to hit 1,000 outposts by 2029, Wonder has raised more than $2 billion so far. The startup’s headquarters is in New York City but it maintains an R&D facility in Parsippany.
The past two-and-a-half years have also seen Wonder make several key acquisitions, such as meal kit provider Blue Apron for $103 million, on-demand delivery platform Grubhub for $650 million and Sweetgreen’s automated kitchen technology business Spyce for $186.4 million.
Wonder is also the latest restaurant in Jersey City to give customers the option of having their food delivered by self-driving robots. As part of a pilot between Grubhub and autonomous vehicle startup Avride, the Grove Street eatery is offering robot-powered delivery for its multiple in-house concepts.
The post Wonder launches $10 meals in NJ with Pop Salad, El Diez appeared first on NJBIZ.
