BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toast, the fastest-growing restaurant management platform in the U.S., today announced $115 million in Series D funding to accelerate investment in research and development, recruit new talent, and expand its market presence. The financing round, led by funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., with participation from new investor Tiger Global Management, LLC – as well as existing investors – values Toast at $1.4 billion.
“The way restaurants serve their customers is going through a fundamental change, and the technology that enables restaurant operations must respond to these new demands. Toast does this,” said Henry Ellenbogen, portfolio manager of T. Rowe Price New Horizons Fund. “Our investment in Toast reflects our belief in the firm’s ability to become much larger over time. We look forward to working with Toast’s management team as they help their clients and grow the business.”
The Platform of Choice for Restaurants
By combining a
powerful AndroidTM-based point-of-sale experience with
solutions designed to increase revenue and improve restaurant
operations, Toast has become one of the fastest-growing technology
companies in North America. During the past year, revenue increased 150
percent as leading restaurants and concepts including Jamba Juice
(NASDAQ:JMBA), Sepia, WaBa Grill, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Dos Toros
Taqueria, honeygrow, The Pizza Press, and B.GOOD joined tens of
thousands of existing restaurants across all 50 states in the Toast
customer community.
“Toast enables our team to streamline operations in a way that wouldn’t be possible with legacy technology,” said Austin Brinson, VP of analytics at B.GOOD. “Thanks to Toast’s focus on the unique needs of restaurant operators, our entire organization is empowered to make data-driven decisions.”
Hiring New Talent to Support a Global Footprint
To support
the demand for its platform, Toast now employs more than 1,000 people in
over 30 states and is actively hiring new talent to support its
increasingly global footprint. New offices opened in Portland, Oregon
and Omaha, Nebraska will support Toast’s growing workforce. When
combined with Toast’s Boston headquarters and existing office in Dublin,
Ireland, the company is well positioned to support thousands of
employees in the future.
“With close to $800 billion in annual sales and representing nearly 15 million jobs in the U.S., the restaurant industry is a powerful contributor to local economies,” said Christopher Comparato, CEO of Toast. “As restaurant owners and operators navigate shifting consumer expectations driven by mobility and personalization, they're selecting Toast as their platform of choice to deliver a guest-first and data-driven experience that increases revenue, streamlines operations, and delights guests.”
Accelerated Investment in Research and Development
The
Series D funding allows Toast to accelerate investments in research and
development. Areas of continued focus include:
- Handheld technology to increase sales: Toast Go™, a fully integrated mobile point-of-sale device designed by Toast, transforms how restaurateurs run and staff their business. Odd Duck – a full service restaurant in Austin, Texas – increased revenue by over $500,000 and reduced server turnover as tips grew by $7,000 per server, annually, with Toast Go.
- Back of house technology to increase speed of service: Eventide, an innovative seafood concept in Boston, introduced a continued service model powered by Toast. In the fine-casual eatery, guests enjoy a mobile ordering experience and receive text notifications from the Toast Kitchen Display System when their food is ready. Servers on the floor extend the service model and provide continuous tableside ordering with Toast Go.
- Guest-facing technology to manage brand risk: Harvard Business School found that a one-star change in online restaurant ratings can have a dramatic impact on revenue. With new guest feedback applications under development at Toast, restaurants of all sizes will soon be able to proactively address service concerns and re-engage guests directly through their point of sale.
Interested candidates may find additional information on Toast career opportunities here. Restaurant owners and operators can learn more about Toast and schedule a personalized demo here.
About Toast
Launched in 2013, Toast
powers successful restaurants of all sizes with a technology platform
that combines restaurant POS, front of house, back of house and
guest-facing technology with a diverse marketplace of third-party
applications. By pairing technology with an unrivaled commitment to
customer success, Toast helps restaurants streamline operations,
increase revenue and deliver amazing guest experiences. In 2017, Toast
was recognized as the third fastest-growing technology company in North
America on the Deloitte Fast 500 and named to the Forbes Cloud 100.
Learn more at www.toasttab.com.