Wonder, a new mix-and-match food hall offering delivery and in-person ordering, opened Thursday, March 19, on Needham Street. Customers streamed in to explore its wide range of culinary options, though the sheer number of choices proved overwhelming for some.
Patrick Cartier, market operations director for Wonder’s New England locations, said the Needham Street opening is part of a broader push across Massachusetts. Wonder also launched locations in Canton and Watertown the same day, adding to five others opened in the past month.
“You don’t have to worry about ordering from multiple restaurants – it’s all here in an infinite kitchen that has …about 20 restaurants all under one roof,” Cartier said.
He said customers can choose from a range of cuisines, including Mexican, Italian, barbecue, and more.
Jonathan Kwan, a Newton resident who works in Walpole, visited Wonder earlier in the week during a Friends & Family opening after receiving an email with a code for $15 off his first order.
Kwan said he initially ordered General Tso’s chicken from Kin House and thoroughly enjoyed it. He returned for the grand opening, hoping to receive one of the tote bags given to the first 100 customers.
Bethany Lynch and Jeff Stokar said they heard about the grand opening from Lynch’s mother, whom she described as someone who always keeps them up to date on what’s happening in Newton.
Stokar said he looked into the company before visiting and learned its founder, Marc Lore, is a former CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce. He said he liked the range of options available once inside.
Despite the cold outside, customers gathered in the warm interior, including Lynch and Stokar, who browsed the Wonder app as they decided what to order.
Cartier, who has experience opening restaurants across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, said it has been meaningful to help launch a complex and fast-growing company like Wonder. He added that the day was especially busy with multiple openings across different locations.
“I wanted to challenge myself and be part of something that’s truly going to change the way that food is delivered,” Cartier said.
He added that the company is also developing a drone delivery program in New Jersey as one example of the technological innovations Wonder is pursuing.
Cartier said working in the kitchen requires staff who are comfortable with technology, though much of the equipment is designed to be intuitive, with multiple screens guiding the workflow.
“There’s pictures of everything,” Cartier said. “We can hire people with limited experience in the restaurant industry, per se, and teach them through pictures and videos.”
Cartier said about 15 employees typically work at a time, each managing a station guided by a screen while coordinating to complete orders.
“With the technology we use, everything comes out hot and synchronized,” Cartier said.
As convenience has become more central to the restaurant industry, some local establishments have resisted third-party delivery apps, citing high fees that cut into profits and reduce in-person traffic. Fig City News asked Cartier about those concerns.
“You have the Uber Eats and things like that, where the fees that they charge other concepts is exorbitant,” he said. “It takes money out of their pockets.”
Cartier said Wonder does not charge delivery fees and uses Grubhub – which it acquired in January 2025 – for its delivery capabilities.
Cartier said he hopes Wonder can help support the business community along Needham Street, encouraging customers to explore nearby shops when they come to pick up their orders.
“We want this to be a place where people come and then see the community,” Cartier said. “We want to be great partners to everybody that’s around.”
Cartier said the goal is to build strong community support.
“Regardless of how busy we are, whatever it may be, if we can create a concept here where people want to come not just to grab great food, but to say hi to our brand ambassador every single day to build that community,” he said. “That’s in my mind what success is going to be.”
