Restoke.ai’s Post

🔥 The future of hospitality is here 🔥 At the start of 2024, many things started to become very clear. The restaurant industry was clearly suffering from the effects of COVID-19, high interest, and inflation. AI was clearly going to change the way we build products of the future. The hospitality industry was clearly ready for disruption. When I first met Assaf & Ken it was immediately clear these guys were going to be the ones to shake things up. Incredible operators. Unrivalled industry experience. Unwavering determination. Restoke.ai is changing the way restaurants operate. Their platform is giving restaurateurs superpowers in the fight against ever-compressing restaurant margins. They are building a world first - the restaurant-brain. We are excited to be supporting the team and leading their $5.1m seed round joined by our friends at Mandalay Venture Partners, Archangel Ventures, US-based VCs BC Growth Equity and Stage 2 Capital, and a stellar group of angel investors.

80% of restaurants fail within 5 years, but Munchfam is here to change that. We’re excited to announce that Munchfam has raised €600K in funding, led by Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀 (Belgium) and Genesis Ventures (Greece), with the support of Nordic Makers, Founders Edge, and former & current management from Wolt, JustEat, Food Panda, and Bolt. Our mission is simple: help small restaurants survive and thrive by offering an all-in-one platform that empowers them to succeed in the competitive digital age. From digital tools to high-quality ingredients and innovative plug ‘n’ play brands, Munchfam helps restaurants optimize their operations across all sales channels. Check out the full story and how we’re transforming the restaurant industry here: https://lnkd.in/gBByS9qs Let’s continue building the future of restaurants together! #startup #restaurantindustry #funding #innovation #digitaltransformation #Munchfam

JUICER secures $5.3M seed funding to revolutionize restaurant pricing San Francisco-based #fintech firm #Juicer, specializing in restaurant revenue management and pricing solutions, has successfully raised $5.3 million in seed funding. The investment round was led by York IE, with contributions from Augmentum Ventures and Muditā Venture Partners Partners. Notable operators and investors, including Kat Cole, Paul English, and Solomon Choi, have also backed Juicer. With Marshall Everson from York IE joining Juicer's board, this funding round signifies broad industry support and belief in Juicer's vision and potential to transform the restaurant industry. Juicer's innovative solutions, including JUICER Pricing and JUICER Compete, are set to revolutionize how restaurants approach pricing and competitive intelligence. By harnessing AI-driven algorithms, Juicer enables restaurants to optimize prices, particularly during off-peak hours, while also providing valuable insights into local market dynamics and competitor pricing strategies. With the freshly secured funds, Juicer is poised to accelerate the development of its sophisticated tools and data resources, enhancing operational efficiencies and consumer experiences across the restaurant sector. By continuing to innovate its technology stack and expand its offerings, Juicer aims to drive growth and customer satisfaction in new and exciting ways, ushering in a future where data and technology shape the dining experience. Want to stay up to date with the market? Here my newsletter: - Linkedin: https://t.ly/s541W   - Substack: https://lnkd.in/dzfGJzmW

Revenue management comes to the restaurant industry!

Whatever your communicative is astir serving the affluent astatine a good eating establishment, I privation to cognize each astir it. Comment beneath each the details of your nightmare customer(s) oregon capable retired this form if you similar to stay anonymous. Your effect whitethorn beryllium featured successful an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post! #innovation - #management - #technology - #creativity - #futurism - #startups

As the son of a restauranteur, Aldo Piaggio witnessed the challenges faced by traditional establishments firsthand. This led him to build Polo (YC W23) with Andres Richardson Juan Chomali. Backed by Y Combinator, they are dedicated to transforming the diner's experience in LATAM. PoloPay in a nutshell: - Digital menu for restaurants with big data and analytics. - First customer: Enrique Tomas in Dallas, TX. - Backed by Y Combinator. - Three founders from the University of Michigan: (Andres Richardson, Aldo Piaggio, & Juan Chomali). - Tip for founders: Truly listen to your customers. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gs5C8i3N #startups #entrepreneurship #founderstories #foodtech

I’ve written a lot of stories about company culture and what happens as startups grow. How is culture preserved and how does it evolve. Well, what happens when you get named the best at what you do?

In this week's first spotlight on our #SevenVentures Pitch Day 2024 finalists, we're thrilled to welcome Hendrik Sander and NeoTaste to the lineup! NeoTaste is a dynamic food discovery app, connecting food lovers across nearly 50 cities in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and the UK with exciting new restaurants, all while enjoying exclusive discounts. It’s a win-win for diners looking for hidden gems and restaurant owners eager to attract new patrons. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Hendrik, CEO and Founder of Neotaste, to get a sneak peek into his pitch. 1. What inspired you to start your company, and how does your product make a difference in the world? We believe dining should be about experiences—bringing people together, creating memories, and enjoying culinary adventures. But the current way people discover restaurants is fragmented. They’re bouncing between Google Maps, Instagram, and restaurant websites, missing out on what truly matters—the experience itself. On the other side, restaurant owners are struggling to connect with new customers, and many are closing their doors. NeoTaste was born to bridge this gap. We’ve created a platform that brings people back into restaurants, making it easy for diners to find and experience new places, while empowering restaurant owners to thrive. Today, we’re proud to help over 1 million users and 6,000 restaurants connect and grow together.     2. What has been your biggest challenge as a startup, and how did you overcome it? Launching NeoTaste was exciting, but then, just three weeks later, COVID-19 hit the world. For 1.5 years, we faced the unknown, not knowing when we could fully launch again. Keeping the company alive during this time took incredible resilience and belief in our vision. It was a tough challenge, but ultimately it was the best decision to stay on course, as we’re now positioned more strongly than ever.     3. Why do you think your startup deserves to win SevenVentures Pitch Day 2024? We see a unique opportunity to build a category-leading company—not just in Germany, not just in Europe, but globally. NeoTaste has the potential to redefine how people discover dining and how restaurants grow, creating a win-win solution for both sides. Winning SevenVentures Pitch Day would accelerate our journey, allowing us to make a greater impact and bring even more people together and into restaurants. Catch Hendrik from NeoTaste and our three other dynamic finalists live on stage at SevenVentures Pitch Day on October 15th during the New Com Summit. Tune in for the excitement, streaming free on #Joyn from 17:45 CET. Don’t miss it—see you there! 

As franchising groups start to shift their model towards platform experiences- it is certainly interesting to see the shift in tenured roles from hotel industry to franchising restaurants/groups. These people have solid insights and wisdom. Listen when they speak.

The world is shifting to third-party delivery for everyday eats. What does this mean for your restaurant? Fewer walk-in guests picking between different items on your menu, and instead picking between hundreds of storefronts online. Knowing what food sells, why it sells, and how to optimize those foods to expand your reach, is where Robin steps in to help. #restauranttech #fooddelivery #startup