Act One Ventures’ Post

💥 Malou: a startup that helps restaurateurs optimize the acquisition and satisfaction of their online customers 👀 #startups #startupjourney #startuplife #ecommerce #ecommercestartup #ebusiness #ecommercegrowth #digitaltools #customersatisfaction

With this huge influx of capital, Marc Lore aims to scale Wonder to 90 brick-and-mortar locations by the end of next year. Today, there are 11 of them... a little over a year ago there were none. The serial entrepreneur is also pumping the cash into its proprietary tech stack, new restaurant partnerships, and operational improvements to maintain its goal of an average order-to-eat time of under 30 minutes. Featuring 350 menu items from 30 restaurants and powered by a commissary kitchen, Wonder, Lore says, will be "the super app of mealtime." What do you think? What impact could this venture have on the industry? https://hubs.li/Q02qb2430 #foodtech #restaurantdevelopment #Wonder #MarcLore #RestaurantSpaces

Starting a pizzeria isn't easy, as most operators will tell you. In this article, Pizza Marketplace editor Mandy Detwiler looks at six easy steps you should be taking before starting your #business. #pizzeria #startup

Tech for small businesses is where it's at! Check out this article about Owner.com by Allie Garfinkle. It goes into why some of the largest markets (like mom-and-pop owned restaurants) have been ignored by tech and what companies like Owner.com are doing to help. #startups #productmanager #smallbusiness #technology Fortune article below 👇

Fun fact: I used to run a food blog called Fatty Kat (yes, really). When the pandemic hit and sparked my entrepreneurial spirit, I initially wanted to start a ghost kitchen company to support struggling restaurants, cafes, and local businesses while also helping landlords monetize underutilized space. But after some research and insightful conversations with experts, I set off on a different path — self-storage. Ghost kitchens serve their purpose well, but they are complex and challenging, with only a few groups managing to do it well. Monetizing underutilized spaces as self-storage, on the other hand, makes much more sense and commands a healthy ROI. It’s a reliable and passive cash flow stream for landlords, with Stuf Storage handling everything from sales and marketing to operations and accounting. If you have any challenging or hard-to-lease spaces in your portfolio, I’d love to chat. DM me. #selfstorage #startups #cre #realestate #ghostkitchens #pandemic

Not so #humblebrag. But I'm really proud of this article. No one can make you sound as smart as Kristen Hawley can! Check out this Q & A with me on why kiosks rock. #startups #foodtech #entrepreneurship #leadership

Summary: This article discusses the importance of an online presence for restaurants and the challenges they face in maintaining it. It also introduces Superorder, a platform that provides websites, menus, photos, and tools for order management, marketing, financial management, and more to restaurants, which recently raised $10 million in a funding round. Key takeaways: Restaurants need to adapt and become good at technology to protect their margins and grow their sales. 77% of diners visit a restaurant’s website before they dine in or order out from the establishment. Superorder provides websites, menus, photos, and tools for order management, marketing, financial management, and more to restaurants. Counter arguments: Many virtual restaurants struggle with the cost of finding additional delivery people and marketing a location that’s virtually invisible to the public. There are concerns about the accuracy of AI-generated images for virtual restaurants, as inaccuracies could lead to lawsuits over false advertising. #startups #venturecapital #capitalmarkets #foodtec #consumertech #startup #vc #fundraising #marketanalysis

Ben Leventhal, the visionary founder behind Resy & Eater, and his latest venture, Blackbird Labs, Inc. is making waves in the restaurant world. This new project has garnered significant funding, and here's why it's worth your attention: 🤝 At the heart of this venture is the fusion of commerce and community-building. By leveraging technology, Ben is creating a platform that puts local businesses in direct contact with its customers. 💡 Why It's Interesting: Empowering Local Businesses: This initiative empowers local businesses by offering them a digital storefront and access to a more in-depth look at their customer base. It's a lifeline for small businesses in a digital-first world. Enhanced Shopping Experience: Consumers can discover and support local businesses while enjoying a curated and personalized dining experience. 💰 Funding Breakdown: Blackbird has secured $24 million through Andreessen Horowitz on top of $11 million in seed money raised last year from Union Square Ventures fund. This investment signifies a strong belief in the potential of commerce platforms that prioritize community and local businesses. 🌐 The intersection of commerce and community-driven initiatives is reshaping the way we shop and connect with local businesses. Blackbird is a prime example of how technology can foster growth, support local economies, and enhance our dining experiences. 📰 Read the Article Here: https://lnkd.in/gj7acfQj

𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙬𝙖𝙮: ✓ Roark Capital bought Subway, ending the sandwich chain's more than five decades of family ownership. ✓ Subway reportedly sought $10 billion, as the amount was huge only a few big private equity players were trying to buy the entity. 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: ✓ Founded in 1965 by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck, Subway was still owned by its founding families before its sale. ✓ Over the years it has become one of the world’s largest restaurant chains, with 37,000 outlets in more than 100 countries. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹? ✓ I was wondering why a private equity firm would buy a whole entity turns out there is a catch. let's know about it. ✓ The private equity firm has around $37 billion in assets under management and specialises in franchised businesses. ✓ They are not new to the food business.Roark's current portfolio includes more than a dozen restaurant chains. Subway beats all of them by number of restaurants, and brings in more annual sales than all except Dunkin'. ✓ Through holding company Inspire Brands, Roark owns Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins, Sonic, Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy John's. Separately, housed under Focus Brands, the firm owns Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's, Moe's Southwest Grill and Schlotzsky's. ✓ Roark plans to keep Subway as a separate entity within its portfolio, Subway CEO John Chidsey. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘆: ✓ Subway and Roark did not announce a transaction price, but The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the firm's final bid was roughly $9.6 billion.The sale do not take into account any future payments. ✓ Both The Wall Street Journal and Reuters reported that it would involve an “earnout” structure that made a portion of the sale price dependent on the chain meeting certain financial goals. ✓ The WSJ reported that Subway’s owners would receive $9 billion up front, with another $600 million available upon meeting the targets. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: ✅ With Roark Capital in, the future holds good for subway as their expertise and synergy would help the company to turnaround and have a good growth in the future years. ✅ Their wide range of restaurant units would help them to utilise their resources efficiently. 📈 Subway grew from a single sandwich shop in Connecticut to a global restaurant giant. That's one good end and a new start for the success story of Subway. What do you think about Subway? Pic source: Subway LinkedIn for Creators LinkedIn News India #india #finance #world #economy #strategy #business #subway #food #consulting #success #motivation #financewrapindia