Wonder, A Unique Food Hall Delivery Chain, Seeks To Open In Darien

DARIEN, CT — Wonder, a unique food hall delivery chain with locations in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, is looking to open a new outpost in Darien, according to documents submitted to the town's Planning & Zoning Commission.

The commission is set to hold a public hearing on an application from Wonder that seeks a special permit to open at 1897 Boston Post Road. Wonder recently opened locations in Stamford and Fairfield, marking expansion into Connecticut.

"Wonder partners with world-renowned chefs, including Bobby Flay, Marcus Samuelsson, and Jose Andres, along with best-in-class restaurants such as DiFara Pizza out of Brooklyn and Tejas BBQ from Dallas, among others, to create menus and dishes spanning a wide variety of cuisines," a project narrative submitted to the town says.

Utilizing a "hub and spoke" model, food ordered from a Wonder storefront is initially prepared at an offsite, central production facility, submitted documents say. The food is then transported to Wonder storefronts where it's then sold to customers "following a strict process of final preparation on-site."

Diners can order from the Wonder website or mobile app. The company says meals are prepared fresh and delivered in under 35 minutes on average. Third-party delivery services are not used, according to a project narrative. Pick-up and limited dine-in options are also available.

According to a submitted application, Wonder would occupy the first floor of the building located at 1897 Boston Post Road.

Jason Rusk, EVP of Restaurant Operations at Wonder.

"We're thrilled to open our third location in Connecticut and bring Wonder to more food lovers in the state. Darien has a diverse food scene and we're excited to bring the Wonder experience to life for foodies in the area," said Jason Rusk, EVP of Restaurant Operations at Wonder, in an emailed statement to Patch. "As a New York City company, having a deeper presence in the tri-state area is very important to us and being in Darien plays a major role in helping us make great food more accessible."

Customers who walk in looking to order can do so using self-serve kiosks, and a Wonder employee will be available to help, submitted documents say.

A limited seating area is proposed, and no more than 11 seats are believed to be needed. Wonder estimates that fewer than 5 percent of its customers choose to eat within its storefronts.

Proposed hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tuesday's Darien Planning & Zoning Commission meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. The full agenda can be found here.