Priceline is buying OpenTable

Was announced this morning that Priceline is going to buy OpenTable for $2.6 billion! I don't know about anyone else but I don't see anything good coming out of this transaction as far as consumers and restaurants are concerned.

Here's the article http://money.cnn.com/2014/06/13/technology/priceline-opentable/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

My buddy, Matt, sent this along via email:

Hi Jay,

I want to share that today OpenTable announced that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by The Priceline Group. OpenTable will continue to operate as an independent brand focused on providing you with great dining experiences. Everything you love about OpenTable will stay the way you like it: free, easy-to-use and constantly improving. You'll have the same real-time availability at more than 31,000 restaurants worldwide, the same super-convenient mobile apps and the same rewarding points program. We will also continue to rollout our new payment product that lets you easily pay with your OpenTable mobile app without asking for the check.

Happy dining,

Matt Roberts
CEO, OpenTable

[Robin Garr]

My buddy, Matt, sent this along via email:

Hey, Matt is my buddy, too! He sent me the same thing!

everything you love about OpenTable will stay the way you like it

I remember when Gannett Corp bigwig Al Neuharth said something very much like that in the news room at The Courier-Journal.

I remember when Gannett Corp bigwig Al Neuharth said something very much like that in the news room at The Courier-Journal.

Has anyone ever seen a company that got bought out remain the same? It just doesn't happen, the company that bought them wants to make money as a result of the purchase and will do anything I have to, to accomplish that.

Has anyone ever seen a company that got bought out remain the same? It just doesn't happen

Has anyone ever seen a company that didnt get bought remain the same? I havent, they all adapt or die.

Specifically with Robin's example, the true independent newspapers have had to radically change to survive too.