Kitchit, a San Francisco-based company that brings the dining experience of a restaurant into the home, announced today that it has closed a $7.5M Series A funding round led by Javelin Venture Partners. This announcement comes on the heels of the launch of Kitchit Tonight, an on-demand in-home restaurant experience for only $39 per person.
Co-founded by Brendan Marshall and Ian Ferguson, Kitchit's mission is to strengthen the social fabric of your community through the dining experience. Kitchit is passionate about food's ability to bring people together and has pioneered a powerful way to elevate the experience well beyond a traditional restaurant by bringing the experience into your home.
Having previously raised a seed round of funding, the company has raised a total amount of $8.1M to date. The funds will be used to support the accelerating growth of the marketplace and ensure Kitchit is a seamless and accessible experience for everyone. 'With this funding and support from Javelin, we're going to continue to expand and develop our platform for people to connect through food,' said Brendan Marshall, co-founder & CEO of Kitchit. Kitchit plans to launch in additional markets in 2015.
'With the launch of Kitchit Tonight we have achieved what we call restaurant parity, the point at which a Kitchit experience is as easy and affordable as going out to a full-service restaurant. Kitchit Tonight brings Kitchit to the mainstream and presents a new paradigm in restaurant dining by personalizing the experience. Most importantly, it empowers our community to bring friends together on a more frequent basis,' said Marshall.
Now available to San Franciscans who live within the 7x7 San Francisco radius, Kitchit Tonight is available Tuesday through Sunday, offering three signature menus that feature a starter, entrée and dessert. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available -- all for the price of $39 per person, which is less than the average cost per person at a full-service restaurant. Menu options rotate on a weekly basis and also feature innovative kids menus available for $9 per child. Hosts have the ability to book a dinner for 2-12 people up to the same day at 1pm.
Kitchit also announced two new additions from Javelin Venture Partners to its Board of Directors: Alex Gurevich, partner, and Noah Doyle, managing director.
'We believe Kitchit can be the restaurant of the future,' said Alex Gurevich, partner, Javelin Partners. 'This is a win-win for both chefs and diners. They're proving that you don't need to go to a restaurant to have a memorable and meaningful dining experience, and that gathering around the table in your home doesn't need to be a chore.'
About Javelin Venture Partners
With $335 million under management, Javelin Venture Partners is an early stage venture capital firm specializing in technology based start-ups that leverage key innovations to create scalable, high-growth companies. Javelin Venture Partners' investment professionals are proven new-technology entrepreneurs who focus on identifying exceptional businesses and management teams, and helping them achieve great success. The firm operates with the culture of a start-up and with an emphasis on being a true partner to entrepreneurs. Javelin Ventures Partners is located in San Francisco, CA, but invests in start-ups throughout the world.
About Kitchit
Kitchit's mission is to strengthen the social fabric of your community by empowering users to seamlessly deepen personal connections over a great meal. Kitchit is passionate about food's ability to connect people and has pioneered a powerful way to elevate the experience well beyond a traditional restaurant by bringing the experience into your home. Kitchit's headquarters are in San Francisco, CA. Kitchit also currently serves the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York markets with Kitchit Marketplace, which allows customers to book personal chefs for fully customizable experiences.