Google buys Zagat

Google agreed to buy the national restaurant guide Zagat, according to reports Thursday. Neither the price nor other terms of the deal were disclosed.

The move is an effort by Google to expand its local offerings, states The New York Times. The husband and wife team behind Zagat, Tim and Nina Zagat, will stay on as co-chairs, it reports.

"With Zagat, we gain a world-class team that has more experience in consumer based-surveys, recommendations and reviews than anyone else in the industry," Marissa Mayer, Google’s top executive for local and location services, wrote in a blog post.  "Moving forward, Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local offering — delighting people with their impressive array of reviews, ratings and insights, while enabling people everywhere to find extraordinary (and ordinary) experiences around the corner and around the world."

Zagat began as a two-page typed list of restaurants and became a pioneer in the field of restaurant ratings. It is now a trusted brand, and diners often look for Zagat posters in restaurant windows to decide where to eat. Its paperback Zagat Guides filled with consumer ratings have become best sellers in many cities, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The businesses' founders had tried but failed to sell Zagat in the past.

After the deal, Mayer also tweeted: "Delightful deal done, Zagat and Google now one, foodies have more fun!"