Booking Holdings boosts restaurant arm with acquisition of Venga

Booking Holdings is to acquire Venga, a guest management platform for restaurants and other businesses, with terms of the deal not disclosed.

The Washington-based software-as-a-service business, which was founded in 2010, enables restaurants to personalize the experience for customers.

According to a statement, post-acquisition Venga will be aligned with the OpenTable brand, which Booking Holdings acquired in mid-2014 for $2.6 billion.

Andrea Johnston, chief operating officer of OpenTable, says:

"Diners increasingly expect personalized experiences, and restaurants are looking for data to better serve their guests.”

Sam Pollaro, co-founder and chief executive of Venga, describes the deal as “a natural fit.”

"Joining the Booking Holdings family will allow us to bring our comprehensive suite of tools - personalized service, targeted marketing, feedback management and actionable analytics - to thousands more businesses.”

TripAdvisor has also been building out its restaurant division with its TheFork brand acquiring Restorando in early March to expand its presence in Latin America.