Most restaurants, from independent establishments to large hotel kitchens, operate below full capacity. This unused kitchen space and resources present an opportunity to license TastyUrban’s food brands and generate additional revenue without extra costs. TastyUrban leverages this available kitchen space through an innovative ‘asset-light, digital-first restaurant franchise model’. This model, which requires minimal capital, operates primarily online and focuses on digital marketing and delivery services, allowing for rapid expansion and reduced overhead costs.
Felix Chrobog, CEO and co-founder of TastyUrban, commented: “We’re solving a real challenge for restaurateurs by optimising their kitchen performance and processes, generating significant additional revenue. We also enable small business owners to access and license our brands with minimal investment.”
TastyUrban has secured €6.5M in Series A funding, led by BB Ventures, with participation from Fulcrum, Monte Carlo Capital, and existing investors Earlybird-X and Cardumen Capital. The funding, which brings the total to €9M, will support tech infrastructure development, brand expansion, and international market growth. The valuation was not disclosed to TFN.
Transforming restaurant economics through innovation
Founded in Berlin in July 2022 by Felix Chrobog (founder of Gorillas and ex-Deliveroo), Marc Hansell (ex-Gorillas and ex-Sender), and Gerry Pidgeon (ex-Gorillas, ex-Tier, ex-Deliveroo), TastyUrban tackles three key challenges in the restaurant industry: underutilised kitchen space, demand for innovative food concepts, and financial constraints.
Modern restaurants often struggle with low kitchen utilisation, driven by market saturation and shifting toward delivery services. As consumer demand for personalised, high-quality delivery food continues to grow, restaurants need new revenue streams that don’t require significant investment.
In an interview with TFN, Felix Chrobog explained: “Our long-term expertise in retail and gastronomy helped us identify an acute need for our model. We’re solving a real challenge for restaurateurs by optimising their kitchen performance and processes, generating significant additional revenue, while enabling small business owners to access and license our brands with minimal investment. Gastronomy is a tough business, and with TastyUrban, they can focus on what they do best — offering great food while we handle everything else.”
Through its asset-light, partnership-based model, TastyUrban licenses innovative food brands to restaurants with excess kitchen capacity. This approach helps restaurants maximise their space and boost revenue through a scalable licensing system. By partnering with international chefs, the company creates delivery-optimized food concepts that enhance the delivery experience and restaurant profitability.
Behind TastyUrban: a full stack to operate profitable businesses
TastyUrban focuses on four key areas: partnering with acclaimed international chefs to develop market-leading, delivery-first food concepts; operating host kitchens that use existing personnel and infrastructure to access exclusive brands; offering small restaurant owners affordable brand licenses well below traditional franchise costs; and providing consumers with innovative delivery-optimized brands.
By developing and licensing innovative food brands to underutilised restaurant and retail partners, TastyUrban generates significant monthly revenue without additional costs. TastyUrban has identified a crucial opportunity to transform low-capacity spaces into host kitchens for digital-first brands in today’s competitive sector. This innovation comes at a critical time, as brick-and-mortar restaurants struggle with the rise of online food delivery. 60% of new restaurants fail within their first year, and 80% become insolvent within five years.
The company’s tech stack modernises restaurant operations, bringing efficiency to its virtual brand network. Chrobog noted: “Our tech provides restaurant partners a full stack to operate profitable businesses. From integrated procurement and supply chain to onboarding and training tools, restaurants have a one-stop solution to operate our brands.”
Through TastyUrban’s dual market research approach, which identifies international trends and analyses local cuisine gaps, the company has launched several consumer brands, including Birdie Birdie, Nanuh, and Fly Dumplings. More concepts, ranging from fast-casual to fresh and health-focused options, are in development across Europe. The company partners with over 80 restaurants in 25 German cities and makes its brands available through popular delivery platforms like UberEats, Wolt, and Lieferando.
Expanding in Germany and beyond
TastyUrban aims to become Europe’s largest virtual multi-brand restaurant franchise, expanding across Germany and internationally. Chrobog concluded: “We will continue to roll out current and new brands to solidify our place as the leading asset-free franchise operator across Europe, while growing our base of independent restaurants and enterprise partners. We’ll achieve this by driving innovation and digitalisation in a fragmented industry.”
Roman Pimonov, Investment Manager from IBB Ventures, added: “We believe that TastyUrban’s multi-brand approach aligns perfectly with current consumer and food trends. By enabling restaurant owners to significantly boost their revenues and accelerate time-to-market for new products, especially in underserved areas, Felix, Marc, and Gerry will define a new understanding of consumer benefits. We’re delighted to support this exceptional team on their mission.”
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