Branded Hospitality

Branded Hospitality is an investment and media platform established in 2017, based in New York, that is dedicated to fostering growth and innovation within the food service and hospitality sectors. With over 25 years of industry experience, the company connects emerging brands and advanced technologies with the necessary capital to drive transformation. Branded Hospitality operates through three main business lines: it invests in innovative companies and scalable solutions that reshape the hospitality landscape, collaborates with major corporate partners to develop tailored operational solutions, and produces influential media content, including the award-winning podcast, The Hospitality Hangout. Through these initiatives, Branded Hospitality enhances operational efficiency, boosts brand visibility, and engages with key industry stakeholders to promote dialogue and share insights.

David “Rev” Ciancio

Hospitality Partner

Gregory Essner

CFO

Jimmy Frischling

Founder / Managing Partner

Stephen Van Note

Partner

Michael Schatzberg

Managing Partner

Mark Senkpiel

Portfolio Manager and Partner

Past deals in Restaurants

ARI Venture Studio

Pre Seed Round in 2024
ARI Venture Studio, established in 2024 and located in Dallas, Texas, is the first venture studio dedicated to developing technology solutions specifically for the restaurant industry. By concentrating on this niche sector, ARI Venture Studio aims to foster innovation and support the growth of startups that enhance operational efficiency and customer experience within restaurants. The firm's commitment to restaurant technology positions it as a key player in addressing the unique challenges faced by this sector, thereby contributing to the evolution of dining experiences through technological advancements.

Fishbowl

Venture Round in 2024
Fishbowl is a prominent provider of guest marketing products and services tailored for the restaurant industry, focusing on one-to-one marketing strategies. Additionally, it operates as a social networking platform that facilitates candid discussions among professionals about workplace topics. Users engage daily to share industry news and seek career advice, benefiting from a supportive environment that includes insights from both peers and senior leadership. The platform is accessible to all users at no cost and has gained significant traction across various sectors, including law, consulting, finance, advertising, healthcare, technology, sales, and accounting.

LDV Hospitality

Venture Round in 2024
We create and operate our restaurants, bars, and lounges with a disciplined and creative approach to delivering our guests

Big Chicken

Series A in 2024
Big Chicken is a fast-food chain based in Las Vegas, Nevada, specializing in a diverse menu centered around chicken products. The company offers a range of items, including popcorn chicken, crinkle-cut fries, desserts, and meals designed for children. In addition to its signature chicken sandwiches, Big Chicken aims to provide a family-friendly dining experience with options suitable for all ages.

JUICER

Venture Round in 2022
JUICER specializes in providing algorithmic dynamic pricing solutions for restaurants, leveraging machine learning algorithms to enhance pricing strategies within existing technology systems. By employing a data-driven approach, JUICER enables restaurants to optimize their pricing for menu items based on historical sales data, thereby improving revenue and profitability. The system forecasts demand accurately, allowing for automatic updates to point-of-sale and digital ordering systems. This dynamic pricing model helps restaurants maximize profits during peak times, increase customer volume during slower periods, and enhance the overall customer experience by offering deals to price-sensitive patrons and reducing wait times during busy hours.

Ovation

Seed Round in 2022
Ovation develops an actionable guest feedback platform to increase revenue for multi-unit restaurants. The platform of the company tracks and identifies the enterprise's loyal customers and assists them in leaving positive online reviews, as well as providing customer feedback and increasing social media following, allowing businesses to monitor and measure their web presence and engage more customers by improving their online marketing strategies.

Tablz

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Tablz is a company focused on transforming the dining experience by allowing customers to choose and upgrade to their preferred tables. It has developed a three-dimensional reservation platform tailored for the food and beverage industry, addressing the common issue of diners not having the option to select their desired table or section. This platform enables restaurants to capitalize on the supply and demand of their dining spaces by accurately pricing valuable areas within their establishments. As a result, Tablz helps restaurants lower costs, enhance operational efficiency, and improve the overall guest experience.

Hone

Venture Round in 2022
Developer of restaurant management software created to improve business operations and performances. The company's platform assists in setting and tracking weekly business goals, integrates bookkeeping, reporting, and operational insight, monitors managers' log as well as assigns tasks automatically, enabling restaurant operators to achieve maximum profit while focusing on guests and hospitality.

Blanket

Venture Round in 2022
Blanket, Inc. is a work management platform tailored for multi-unit restaurant operators. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the company specializes in developing task management and compliance software. Its offerings include solutions for employee engagement, communication, facility maintenance, food safety and quality assurance, team building, and talent development, all aimed at enhancing operational efficiency in the restaurant industry.

Incentivio

Seed Round in 2022
Incentivio is an intelligent guest engagement platform designed to enhance the restaurant experience in the digital age. It assists restaurants in acquiring new customers, increasing visit frequency and spending, and fostering loyalty among both first-time diners and returning guests. The platform operates through various channels, including web, mobile, and in-store, providing a comprehensive solution that combines online ordering, white-label restaurant apps, and loyalty programs. Additionally, it leverages machine learning for upselling, offers CDP analytics, and features a data-driven marketing suite along with guest journey management tools. By integrating these elements, Incentivio enables restaurants to lower operational costs, generate incremental revenue, and build lasting relationships with their customers.

Bite

Seed Round in 2022
Bite Inc. specializes in developing digital ordering solutions tailored for the hospitality industry, focusing primarily on quick service and fast casual restaurants. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in New York, the company offers innovative products such as bitekiosk, which provides kiosk ordering software for guests, and biteFLASH, a mobile interface that enables contactless ordering through QR codes. Additionally, Bite’s self-ordering kiosk software employs facial recognition technology to identify guests and learn their preferences, allowing for personalized recommendations. This approach not only enhances the guest experience but also helps restaurants build stronger customer relationships.

Cut+Dry

Seed Round in 2022
Cut+Dry offers online ordering, product discovery, delivery tracking, and payment services. They are serial entrepreneurs in hospitality and financial technology, restaurant operations, wholesale food distribution, and food analytics and data science.

Ingest

Seed Round in 2022
Ingest is a data management and analytics platform tailored for the restaurant and food and beverage retail sectors. The platform integrates with various tools and systems to connect disparate data sources, enabling businesses to access critical metrics that are often difficult to obtain. By automating functions such as time and attendance, scheduling, invoice management, and reservations, Ingest provides real-time insights through interactive dashboards and emailed reports. This functionality allows decision-makers to identify operational strengths and weaknesses, facilitating faster and more informed decision-making across the organization.

Picnic

Series A in 2021
Picnic is a Seattle-based company established in 2016 that specializes in food production technology and robotics solutions. Formerly known as Vivid Robotics Inc., Picnic has developed an application that streamlines automated interactions and ordering for food companies. The company has assembled a team of industry veterans from both the food and technology sectors to create innovative solutions tailored for the food service and hospitality industries. One of its flagship products, the Picnic Pizza Production System, is the first automated pizza-making system designed for both new kitchen installations and retrofits, capable of producing hundreds of custom pizzas per hour using chef-selected ingredients and recipes.

Mighty Quinn's Barbeque

Series A in 2021
Mighty Quinn's Barbeque operates a chain of restaurants that aims to provide an authentic barbecue experience in a fast-casual setting. The company's menu features a selection of meats, sides, and drinks, all made with quality, all-natural ingredients. Mighty Quinn's Barbeque employs various cooking techniques, utilizing oak, apple, and cherry wood for smoking to enhance the flavor of the dishes. In addition to its restaurant operations, the company offers franchising opportunities and catering services, further expanding its reach and accessibility to customers.

Picnic

Series A in 2021
Picnic is a Seattle-based company established in 2016 that specializes in food production technology and robotics solutions. Formerly known as Vivid Robotics Inc., Picnic has developed an application that streamlines automated interactions and ordering for food companies. The company has assembled a team of industry veterans from both the food and technology sectors to create innovative solutions tailored for the food service and hospitality industries. One of its flagship products, the Picnic Pizza Production System, is the first automated pizza-making system designed for both new kitchen installations and retrofits, capable of producing hundreds of custom pizzas per hour using chef-selected ingredients and recipes.

Chowly

Venture Round in 2021
Chowly specializes in providing technology solutions that link restaurant point-of-sale (POS) systems with third-party online ordering services. Its platform automates the order-processing workflow, allowing restaurants to seamlessly transfer online orders directly to their POS systems. This innovation reduces the need for manual order entry, which helps decrease staffing costs, minimizes errors, and enhances operational efficiency. By streamlining the ordering process, Chowly enables restaurants to save time and increase revenue while maintaining better control over their operations.

Brizo Data

Seed Round in 2021
Brizo FoodMetrics is a leading data and analytics provider for the foodservice industry. Brizo helps the most competitive restauranteurs and restaurant vendors make better informed decisions and win their market.

Mighty Quinn's Barbeque

Seed Round in 2021
Mighty Quinn's Barbeque operates a chain of restaurants that aims to provide an authentic barbecue experience in a fast-casual setting. The company's menu features a selection of meats, sides, and drinks, all made with quality, all-natural ingredients. Mighty Quinn's Barbeque employs various cooking techniques, utilizing oak, apple, and cherry wood for smoking to enhance the flavor of the dishes. In addition to its restaurant operations, the company offers franchising opportunities and catering services, further expanding its reach and accessibility to customers.

Ovation

Seed Round in 2020
Ovation develops an actionable guest feedback platform to increase revenue for multi-unit restaurants. The platform of the company tracks and identifies the enterprise's loyal customers and assists them in leaving positive online reviews, as well as providing customer feedback and increasing social media following, allowing businesses to monitor and measure their web presence and engage more customers by improving their online marketing strategies.

Blanket

Seed Round in 2020
Blanket, Inc. is a work management platform tailored for multi-unit restaurant operators. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the company specializes in developing task management and compliance software. Its offerings include solutions for employee engagement, communication, facility maintenance, food safety and quality assurance, team building, and talent development, all aimed at enhancing operational efficiency in the restaurant industry.

Ovation

Seed Round in 2020
Ovation develops an actionable guest feedback platform to increase revenue for multi-unit restaurants. The platform of the company tracks and identifies the enterprise's loyal customers and assists them in leaving positive online reviews, as well as providing customer feedback and increasing social media following, allowing businesses to monitor and measure their web presence and engage more customers by improving their online marketing strategies.

GoParrot

Series A in 2020
GoParrot is a food ordering platform that aims to enhance the digital ordering experience for restaurant operators. By utilizing point of sale integrations, diversified delivery networks, and AI-driven loyalty and marketing programs, GoParrot provides an end-to-end solution that helps businesses streamline their operations, boost customer engagement, and maximize revenue. The company serves various clients, including Dos Toros, Westville, Doughnut Plant, and Juice Press. Founded by Ariel David, GoParrot stands out as a next-generation platform that harnesses data-driven insights to support the evolving needs of the restaurant industry.

Yumpingo

Series A in 2020
Yumpingo is a London-based internet company founded in 2016 that specializes in providing a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for the hospitality industry. Its restaurant intelligence platform enables establishments to gather real-time insights from guests through a brief review conducted at the end of a meal. By focusing on customer sentiment data, Yumpingo assists restaurateurs in making informed decisions that enhance menu development, operational efficiency, and guest engagement. The platform aims to streamline the collection and analysis of feedback across various digital touchpoints, ultimately empowering restaurants to improve their overall performance and customer satisfaction.

VROMO

Series A in 2020
VROMO is a developer of delivery management software focused on enhancing the operational efficiency of restaurant brands. The company's platform is designed to streamline delivery processes, improve fulfillment, and reduce both labor and delivery times. By enabling restaurants to optimize their delivery channels, VROMO aims to enhance customer engagement and retention while ultimately increasing profitability for these businesses. The software provides tools that help brands connect with their customers in targeted and strategic ways, contributing to a better overall brand experience and greater customer satisfaction.

VROMO

Seed Round in 2019
VROMO is a developer of delivery management software focused on enhancing the operational efficiency of restaurant brands. The company's platform is designed to streamline delivery processes, improve fulfillment, and reduce both labor and delivery times. By enabling restaurants to optimize their delivery channels, VROMO aims to enhance customer engagement and retention while ultimately increasing profitability for these businesses. The software provides tools that help brands connect with their customers in targeted and strategic ways, contributing to a better overall brand experience and greater customer satisfaction.

Yumpingo

Series A in 2019
Yumpingo is a London-based internet company founded in 2016 that specializes in providing a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for the hospitality industry. Its restaurant intelligence platform enables establishments to gather real-time insights from guests through a brief review conducted at the end of a meal. By focusing on customer sentiment data, Yumpingo assists restaurateurs in making informed decisions that enhance menu development, operational efficiency, and guest engagement. The platform aims to streamline the collection and analysis of feedback across various digital touchpoints, ultimately empowering restaurants to improve their overall performance and customer satisfaction.

GoParrot

Seed Round in 2019
GoParrot is a food ordering platform that aims to enhance the digital ordering experience for restaurant operators. By utilizing point of sale integrations, diversified delivery networks, and AI-driven loyalty and marketing programs, GoParrot provides an end-to-end solution that helps businesses streamline their operations, boost customer engagement, and maximize revenue. The company serves various clients, including Dos Toros, Westville, Doughnut Plant, and Juice Press. Founded by Ariel David, GoParrot stands out as a next-generation platform that harnesses data-driven insights to support the evolving needs of the restaurant industry.

Bbot

Convertible Note in 2019
Bbot, Inc. is a technology company focused on enhancing the ordering and payment processes for the hospitality industry, including bars, restaurants, hotels, breweries, and food halls. Founded in 2017 and based in Albany, New York, Bbot offers a configurable platform that allows establishments to create digital menus and facilitate guest-controlled, contactless ordering and payment. This solution aims to streamline food and beverage operations by providing features such as fast and secure payments, integration with existing point-of-sale systems, and dedicated customer support. By simplifying these processes, Bbot helps businesses increase revenue, reduce staffing costs, and improve the overall guest experience.

Chowly

Series A in 2017
Chowly specializes in providing technology solutions that link restaurant point-of-sale (POS) systems with third-party online ordering services. Its platform automates the order-processing workflow, allowing restaurants to seamlessly transfer online orders directly to their POS systems. This innovation reduces the need for manual order entry, which helps decrease staffing costs, minimizes errors, and enhances operational efficiency. By streamlining the ordering process, Chowly enables restaurants to save time and increase revenue while maintaining better control over their operations.
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