15 New York investors financing restaurant and hospitality companies in 2026

New York closed $1.8B in restaurant and food tech deals across 140+ investments in 2025. Most capital went to restaurant operations software and ghost kitchen infrastructure, not new dining concepts. NYC investors want proven unit economics before they'll fund expansion. You won't raise here with just a popular Instagram account and lines out the door.

Quick list

Why New York works for restaurant fundraising

New York has 30+ active investors backing restaurant and food companies. Restaurant tech gets more capital than physical dining concepts because investors want software margins, not real estate risk. Average seed round for restaurant tech here is $2.5M, Series A is $12M. Physical restaurant concepts rarely raise institutional capital unless you're expanding a proven brand with 5+ profitable locations.

The advantage is customers and talent. Every restaurant category exists in NYC with dense consumer populations. If your concept works in Manhattan, investors believe it can work nationally. The disadvantage is NYC unit economics don't translate elsewhere. Your $4M revenue per location in SoHo won't happen in Atlanta, and investors know it.

In New York, investors lean toward startups that support professional services, where revenue reliability feels more like enterprise software than risky ventures. NYC restaurant investors split between hospitality operators who became VCs (like USHG and Cleveland Avenue) and traditional VCs who added food as a sector. Operator-VCs understand margins and labor costs. Traditional VCs want tech-enabled models with better returns than physical restaurants. Know which type you're pitching.

Picking the right New York restaurant investor

Local presence matters significantly for physical restaurant concepts. NYC investors want to visit your locations and understand your operations firsthand. For restaurant tech, location matters less unless you're selling to NYC restaurants. Then local relationships with restaurant groups like Union Square Hospitality or Major Food Group help with customer acquisition.

Portfolio companies show if they back physical concepts versus tech. Funds like Bread & Butter invest in restaurant brands. Funds like Preface want software for restaurants. Don't pitch a ghost kitchen concept to investors who only back CPG brands. Check if they've invested in your restaurant category before. Fast-casual investors often don't understand fine dining economics and vice versa.

Check sizes for physical restaurants are typically $2-5M for seed expansion capital. Restaurant tech seed rounds run $1.5-3M. Series A for restaurant concepts is rare unless you have 10+ locations with proven economics. Software companies serving restaurants can raise traditional $8-15M Series A rounds. Match your funding needs to their typical deal size.

Local network in NYC restaurant investing means connections to restaurant groups, hospitality landlords, and food distributors. Ask if they can intro you to major restaurant operators for pilot programs. The best NYC restaurant investors can connect you to Union Square Hospitality, Sweetgreen leadership, or major hotel groups for enterprise customers.

Communication about your unit economics needs to be detailed. Upload your deck to Ellty and share trackable links with each investor. You'll see if they actually review your location-level P&Ls or skip to brand story slides. NYC restaurant investors care more about margins and labor costs than your James Beard nominations.

Follow-on capacity rarely exists for physical restaurant brands unless you're with growth equity funds. Most NYC seed investors in restaurants expect you'll bootstrap expansion after initial capital. Restaurant tech companies can raise traditional Series A and B rounds, but physical concepts usually need debt or revenue-based financing for growth after seed.

How to find and approach New York restaurant investors

Research local deals by following NYC restaurant tech announcements on publications like Eater NY and The Spoon. Most restaurant investment doesn't get covered unless it's $20M+. Check Crunchbase for smaller rounds in your specific category. Investors who led $3M rounds for similar concepts will respond faster than funds chasing unicorns.

Leverage local ecosystem through NYC Hospitality Alliance and the Restaurant Associates network. Many successful NYC restaurant tech founders started as operators first. Those connections matter more than typical startup accelerators. StarChefs Congress and International Restaurant & Foodservice Show connect you to investors who actually attend food industry events, not just tech conferences.

Build relationships first by inviting investors to your restaurant if you have one. NYC restaurant investors want to see operations, taste food, and observe customer flow before first pitch meetings. If you're building software for restaurants, get pilots with known NYC restaurant groups first. Union Square Hospitality, Eleven Madison Park, or Momofuku as customers matters more than your deck. Share your pitch via Ellty so you can track which investors are reviewing between in-person visits.

Attend local events where restaurant investors actually appear. The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show in NYC and the Food on Demand Conference are where deals happen. Skip general startup pitch events. The Smart Kitchen Summit and Restaurant Finance Week attract investors who understand food business economics.

Connect with portfolio founders from funds you're targeting. NYC restaurant founders share investor experiences more openly than other sectors because the community is tight. LinkedIn intros work but visiting their restaurants and building real relationships works better. Be direct about learning their fundraising timeline and investor diligence process.

Organize due diligence early if you're a physical restaurant concept. Set up an Ellty data room with location-level P&Ls, labor cost breakdowns, and unit economics by daypart. NYC restaurant investors will ask for this immediately. Have your food costs, lease terms, and expansion plans documented before you start pitching.

Understand local pace which is 6-10 weeks from first meeting to term sheet for restaurant tech. Physical restaurant concepts take 12-20 weeks because investors want to visit multiple times, review real estate deals, and understand neighborhood dynamics. If you're pre-revenue restaurant tech, expect 8-12 weeks. Established restaurant brands with proven concepts close faster.

New York restaurant investor expectations

NYC restaurant investors want to see $3M+ annual revenue per location for physical concepts. They know NYC numbers are inflated but that's the benchmark. If you can't hit $250K revenue per month in Manhattan or Brooklyn, they assume your concept won't work in cheaper markets. Ghost kitchens need $100K+ monthly revenue per kitchen location.

Food costs above 32% scare investors unless you're fine dining. Labor costs above 35% kill most deals unless you're in California where everyone deals with it. NYC investors understand restaurant economics better than West Coast VCs. Don't pitch them if your unit economics only work with VC-subsidized customer acquisition.

15 top restaurant investors in New York

1. Union Square Hospitality Group

Danny Meyer's investment arm understands restaurant operations better than any pure VC.

• Recent Deals: Resy (acquired by Amex for $100M+), Goldbelly ($100M valuation, 2024), Tender Greens expansion ($20M, 2023)
• LinkedIn: Chip Wade LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant operations, hospitality tech, food delivery, dining concepts
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, growth
• Office Location: Flatiron District, Manhattan
• Website: ushgnyc.com

2. Bread & Butter Ventures

Only invests in food and beverage brands, nothing else.

• Recent Deals: Milk Bar ($10M Series B, 2023), Partake Foods allergy-friendly ($10M, 2024), Fishwife tinned seafood ($3M, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Emily Gittins LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant brands, CPG food, beverage brands, fast-casual concepts
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Boulder/NYC offices
• Website: breadbutterventures.com

3. Enlightened Hospitality Investments

USHG's dedicated investment fund for hospitality and food companies.

• Recent Deals: Goldbelly food marketplace ($100M valuation, 2024), Hngry catering platform ($15M, 2023), Multiple restaurant tech investments
• LinkedIn: Michael Jacobs LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: hospitality tech, restaurant software, food marketplaces, delivery
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Manhattan
• Website: ehinyc.com

4. Blackbird Labs

Restaurant loyalty platform turned investor backing next-gen hospitality tech.

• Recent Deals: Built own loyalty platform ($24M raised), now investing in restaurant tech, Multiple hospitality software seed deals
• LinkedIn: Ben Leventhal LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant loyalty, hospitality tech, dining software
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Manhattan
• Website: blackbird.xyz

5. S2G Ventures

Sustainable food focus with strong NYC presence backing urban farming and food tech.

• Recent Deals: Bowery Farming vertical agriculture ($150M Series C, 2023), Apeel Sciences food waste ($250M, 2024), Actual Veggies plant-based ($4M, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Sanjeev Krishnan LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: sustainable food, agriculture tech, plant-based, food waste reduction
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B, growth
• Office Location: Chicago HQ, active NYC office
• Website: s2gventures.com

6. Acre Venture Partners

Food and agriculture investors who back restaurant supply chain innovation.

• Recent Deals: Tender Food plant-based chicken ($12M Series A, 2024), Meati Foods mycelium protein ($150M, 2023), Multiple food supply chain startups
• LinkedIn: Chris Langwallner LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: food supply chain, sustainable protein, restaurant suppliers, ag tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Active in NYC/Denver
• Website: acreventarepartners.com

7. AccelFoods

Accelerator and investor exclusively for food and beverage companies.

• Recent Deals: Spindrift sparkling water (early investor), Siete Foods Mexican-American food (acquired by PepsiCo), Multiple CPG and restaurant brands $250K-$2M
• LinkedIn: Jordan Gaspar LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: CPG food brands, beverage companies, restaurant brands, food retail
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Active in NYC market
• Website: accelfoods.com

8. af Ventures

Backs restaurant technology and ghost kitchen infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Multiple NYC ghost kitchen operators, Restaurant operations software, Food delivery tech investments
• LinkedIn: Alex Fiance LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: ghost kitchens, restaurant tech, food delivery infrastructure
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Manhattan
• Website: afventures.com

9. Butterfly

Consumer brand investors backing emerging restaurant and food concepts.

• Recent Deals: Fly By Jing Sichuan brand ($6M, 2023), Blank Street Coffee expansion ($30M Series B, 2023), Multiple food and beverage brands
• LinkedIn: Albert Azout LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant brands, beverage companies, food retail, consumer dining
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Manhattan
• Website: butterfly.vc

10. Cleveland Avenue

McDonald's ex-CEO Don Thompson's fund backing restaurant innovation.

• Recent Deals: Farmer's Fridge automated fresh food ($32M Series C, 2024), Taste222 virtual restaurants ($4M, 2023), MOD Pizza expansion (growth investment)
• LinkedIn: Don Thompson LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: QSR tech, restaurant automation, food service innovation, franchising
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B, growth
• Office Location: Chicago HQ, active in NYC
• Website: clevelandavenue.com

11. Preface Ventures

Enterprise software for restaurants, backed Toast before $10B+ valuation.

• Recent Deals: Toast POS (early investor, IPO 2021), SevenRooms hospitality software ($50M Series C, 2024), Notch restaurant workforce ($10M Series A, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Dave Anderson LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant software, hospitality tech, food service operations platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Active in NYC/Boston
• Website: preface.vc

12. SenaHill Partners

Growth equity specifically for established restaurant chains.

• Recent Deals: Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux expansion ($20M+, 2024), MOD Pizza growth capital, Multiple restaurant chain expansions $15-40M
• LinkedIn: Diane Lee LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant chain expansion, franchising, hospitality real estate
• Stage Focus: growth, late-stage expansion
• Office Location: Connecticut, active in NYC market
• Website: senahillpartners.com

13. Bluestein Ventures

Family office backing physical restaurant concepts and hospitality real estate.

• Recent Deals: Multiple NYC restaurant concepts, Hospitality real estate investments, Fast-casual expansion capital
• LinkedIn: Jonathan Bluestein LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant concepts, hospitality real estate, dining brands
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, growth
• Office Location: Manhattan
• Website: bluesteinventures.com

14. Torch Capital

Restaurant operations software and food delivery infrastructure focus.

• Recent Deals: Multiple restaurant tech seed deals, Food delivery infrastructure, Kitchen operations software
• LinkedIn: Evan Stoner LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant operations software, delivery tech, kitchen automation
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Manhattan
• Website: torch.capital

15. SquareOne Ventures

Seed investor in NYC restaurant tech and food delivery platforms.

• Recent Deals: Multiple NYC restaurant tech seed deals under $3M, Food delivery infrastructure, Hospitality software early-stage
• LinkedIn: Ted Dintersmith LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: restaurant tech, food delivery, hospitality software
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Active in NYC market
• Website: squareoneventures.com

Start tracking your New York restaurant investor outreach

These 15 investors closed NYC restaurant and food tech deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to New York funds, understand they'll want to see your operations or product in action. Restaurant investors don't fund decks, they fund proven concepts.

Upload your pitch to Ellty and create unique tracking links for each investor. You'll see which slides matter to different investor types. Operator-investors like USHG spend time on unit economics and location strategy. Tech-focused VCs like Preface focus on software margins and customer acquisition costs. Know what each investor cares about before follow-up meetings.

When restaurant investors ask for location P&Ls, lease agreements, or vendor contracts, share an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your food costs by vendor, labor schedules, and expansion financial models in one secure place. NYC restaurant investors expect organized diligence because they've seen too many concepts fail from poor operations planning.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in New York to raise from NYC restaurant investors?

For physical restaurant concepts, yes. NYC investors want to visit your locations regularly and see operations firsthand. For restaurant software, no, but having NYC restaurants as customers helps significantly. If you're raising for a Miami or LA restaurant concept, find local investors who understand those markets instead.

How does New York compare to San Francisco for restaurant fundraising?

NYC has more capital for physical restaurant concepts and hospitality tech. SF has more investors for food delivery platforms and ghost kitchen infrastructure. NYC investors understand restaurant operations and unit economics better because of the density of restaurant groups here. Average check sizes are similar but NYC expects higher revenue per location.

What's the average seed round size for restaurant companies in New York?

$2M to $4M for physical restaurant concepts expanding beyond 3-5 locations. $1.5M to $3M for restaurant tech seed rounds. Ghost kitchens typically raise $2-5M seed rounds. If you're raising for your first location, you're probably too early for institutional capital unless you have strong operator background and proven concept.

Should I raise locally or go to dedicated food VCs for restaurant funding?

Depends on your concept. Physical NYC restaurants should raise from NYC investors who can visit and understand local dynamics. Restaurant software can raise from dedicated food tech VCs nationally. Many successful restaurant companies do seed with local operator-investors like USHG, then raise Series A from larger food-focused funds like S2G or Cleveland Avenue.

Do New York restaurant investors expect in-person meetings?

Always for physical restaurant concepts. They'll want to eat at your restaurant, watch service, and meet your team. For software, first meetings happen on Zoom but serious investors visit your office and want to see product demos with real restaurant customers. Expect to meet 3-5 times before term sheets, including operational due diligence visits.

What restaurant categories get funded most in New York?

Restaurant operations software and ghost kitchen infrastructure get the most VC capital. Fast-casual concepts with proven unit economics can raise expansion capital. Fine dining and single-location restaurants almost never raise institutional capital. Food delivery tech and hospitality SaaS also attract significant investment from NYC funds.

How important is prior restaurant experience for founders?

Critical for physical restaurant concepts. NYC investors won't fund first-time restaurateurs unless you're partnered with experienced operators. For restaurant software, operational experience helps but isn't required if you have strong technical co-founders and restaurant customers. Investors want to see you understand the specific pain points of restaurant operations, either from working in restaurants or deep customer discovery.