Marc Lore reveals AI plan to launch restaurant brands in under one minute

E-commerce visionary Marc Lore has unveiled his most ambitious play for the food industry yet: "Wonder Create," an AI-driven initiative designed to let anyone launch a restaurant brand in under sixty seconds.

Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s "Future of Everything" conference on Wednesday, Lore detailed how the system uses AI to generate everything from a restaurant's name and branding to its specific recipes and health information based on a simple user prompt.

Once finalised, these virtual brands go live across Wonder’s expanding network of "programmable cooking platforms." The startup, which has evolved from a fleet of food trucks into a sophisticated delivery and fast-casual hybrid, currently operates 120 locations.

Lore confirmed plans to scale this to 400 kitchens by next year, with a long-term goal of housing 1,000 unique brands within each 2,500-square-foot site by 2035.

These all-electric kitchens utilise a "700-ingredient library" and advanced robotics—including conveyor belts and robotic arms—to prepare up to 25 different types of cuisine simultaneously.

Lore noted that the recently completed $186 million acquisition of Spyce Robotics from Sweetgreen is pivotal to this automation, introducing "infinite sauce machines" capable of replicating 80% of recipes found online.

While the "ghost kitchen" model has historically struggled with quality control, Lore maintains that Wonder’s vertical integration avoids these pitfalls.

By owning the technology, the ingredients, and the delivery logistics via acquisitions like Grubhub and Blue Apron, the company ensures consistency at scale.

"When you buy a brand... and then overnight put it in 1,000 locations, there's just an incredible arbitrage there," Lore remarked.

The platform is aimed at food entrepreneurs and influencers alike, providing a "turnkey" solution for anyone looking to enter the hospitality space without the traditional overhead of brick-and-mortar operations.