A “foodie” experience often entails just going to a fancy restaurant and sharing a photo of your meal on Instagram. But one Toronto-based startup says it can help elevate this “average” experience for customers thanks to its platform.
U-Feast, which recently pitched on The Disruptors, allows users to purchase tickets to weekly communal feasts in restaurants across Toronto. During the pitch, CEO Terry Mocherniak noted that it’s a valuable marketing tool for restaurants, who can also monetize unused capacity and inventory.
While Mocherniak said that there are services similar to U-Feast, most are competing with restaurants while U-Feast focuses on working with them.
“We don’t need to hire chefs, or rent venues, or get liquor permits. We hold the events for the restaurants so that whole infrastructure is already in place,” said Mocherniak. “We can put on hundreds of events a year just in one city, with nominal overhead and infrastructure.”
In September, U-Feast acquired fellow Toronto-based competitor Pass The Table in an effort to fuel expansion plans across North America.
Co-host Amber Kanwar, a self-professed foodie, said she loves the idea. “I’ve already signed up for it. It’s on-trend with what millennials are looking for: an exclusive, different kind of experience,” said Kanwar. “For restaurants, it makes sense how you would attract people back to your restaurant who might be bored with your menu and experiment with them a little bit in a personalized way.”
Watch the whole pitch below:
BetaKit is a production partner on The Disruptors. Tune in to BNN every Thursday night at 7 p.m. for full episodes!