TheFork App Surpasses 10 Million Downloads, Unveils “Insider” in Major Italian Cities

The leading online restaurant reservation platform, TheFork, has announced that its application has surpassed 10.5 million downloads across its operational regions. This milestone coincides with a significant enhancement to the app in Milan, Rome, Turin, and Florence. The upgrade streamlines restaurant discovery and booking, further refining user experience – a key focus for TheFork’s ongoing development. Users in these cities now benefit from three distinct search paths. The “All Restaurants” option provides a comprehensive overview of TheFork’s extensive listings. A “Deals” section highlights current offers, ranging from 20% to 50% discounts. Most notably, the new “Insider” feature showcases TheFork partner restaurants selected based on ratings from prestigious culinary guides (Identità Golose, Gambero Rosso, and L’Espresso) and TheFork user reviews. This curated selection is dynamically updated by TheFork’s team, with restaurant profiles crafted by expert food writers: Marina Bellati (Milan), Luca Sessa (Rome), Bruno Boveri (Turin), and Carmela Adinolfi (Florence). Paolo Marchi, founder and curator of Identità Golose, lauded the initiative, emphasizing the importance of using reputable guides and professional journalists for descriptions. He highlighted the role of online reservation systems in encouraging Italian diners to adhere to booking times and reduce no-shows. Enzo Vizzari, director of L’Espresso Guides, shared a similar perspective, viewing online booking as a deterrent to the detrimental practice of failing to appear for reservations. He described “Insider” as a valuable tool for guiding searches and bookings toward higher-end establishments. Massimiliano Tonelli, Head of Content at Gambero Rosso, also voiced his approval at the Insider launch event, calling it a positive first step, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration, viewing the guides as a crucial R&D department for the Italian restaurant industry. Aldo Cursano, Vice President of FIPE and President of FIPE Toscana, welcomed the “Insider” feature, placing it within the broader context of increasing collaboration between TheFork, its parent company TripAdvisor, and the restaurant industry. This collaboration aims to drive digital adoption among food businesses and equip consumers with enhanced information for informed dining choices.