Canada’s YPG Says Bon Appetit With Restaurantica Acquisition

Canada’s Yellow Pages Group has deepened its investment in verticals with its recent acquisition of Restaurantica, one of Canada’s largest online dining communities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but a report by Paul Steep at Scotia Capital suggests the amount was immaterial to YPG’s financial results.

Restaurantica was founded in 2003, and has more than 400,000 restaurant listings (50,000 in Canada) and 200,000 reviews in North America. YPG’s objective is to deepen content and user engagement in one of its most critical online search categories. The deal is interesting in part because YPG CEO Marc Tellier has in the past made statements expressing doubts about the compatibility of consumer reviews and Yellow Pages.

According to Nicolas Gaudreau, YPG’s vice president, digital media: “Approximately 80 percent of dining decisions are significantly influenced by recommendations and reviews. This acquisition allows us to reinforce our commitment to helping consumers make smarter business decisions.”