Online travel giant Priceline said Friday it would buy the restaurant reservation service OpenTable for $2.6 billion in cash.

“OpenTable is a great match for The Priceline Group. They provide us with a natural extension into restaurant marketing services and a wonderful and highly-valued booking experience for our global customers,” said Priceline Group’s president and chief executive Darren Huston.

Priceline, which began as a service in which travelers bid for hotels and other travel options, has grown into a major brand with the hotel service Booking.com, aggregator Kayak and other websites.

OpenTable, which operates in the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan and Mexico, says it handles some 15 million reservations per month via online bookings across more than 31,000 restaurants.

The service allows users to see which restaurants are available, to view menus and customer reviews, and to book a reservation.

The deal, approved by both boards calls for Priceline to pay $103 per share. OpenTable went public in 2009, raising some $60 million.

After the closing expected in the third quarter, OpenTable will continue to be headquartered in San Francisco, and will operate as an independent business led by its current management team, according to a statement.