JPMorgan acquires restaurant review platform Infatuation

America’s largest bank buys the company as restaurants reorganize to adapt and stay afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s an unusual move for a bank to go into publishing, but Infatuation’s goal aligns with JPMorgan’s recent campaign to attract high-end customers who spend a lot on dining out.

The Infatuation is currently present in 50 cities in the United States and abroad and connects with consumers through its website, mobile app, live food events and a bi-coastal food festival called EEEEEATSCON.

Through the partnership, the bank will seek opportunities to provide “benefits” to Chase cardholders, a spokesperson for JPMorgan told CNN Business. These benefits could include granting customers special access to The Infatuation’s content or experiences, the spokesperson added.

“We have long admired The Infatuation’s new approach to reaching people with relevant content that inspires new ways of living life through food and drink,” said Marianne Lake, Co-CEO of Consumer Banking and community organizations at Chase, in a press release. Lake added that the company was eager to “build on our complementary missions of connecting people to experiences around a shared passion for food service.”

The Infatuation, which was founded in 2009 by Chris Stang and Andrew Steinthal, has previously collaborated with JPMorgan Chase. Most recently, the company partnered with Chase Sapphire to provide 20 grants of $ 50,000 each to small independent US restaurants for recovery assistance from the Covid-19 pandemic.