Enlightened Hospitality Investments

Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI), established in 2016, is a New York-based growth equity firm affiliated with Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). EHI identifies and invests in early-stage, values-aligned companies within the hospitality, technology, and information technology sectors, focusing on restaurants, hotels, and leisure. The firm typically allocates USD 10 to 30 million per investment, leveraging USHG's businesses and professionals to drive growth and potential in both internal and external ventures.

Aaron Chan

CFO

Johnny Hagan

Senior Investment Associate

Perry Leavitt

Vice President

Mark A. Leavitt

Co-Managing Partner and Co-Founder

Pete Mavrovitis

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Linda Meliani

Senior Investment Associate

Danny Meyer

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Danny Meyer

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Paulina Orillac

Vice President

Theo Ressler

Investment Associate

Harry Seherr-Thoss

Partner

18 past transactions

Oats Overnight

Series B in 2024
Oats Overnight specializes in manufacturing convenient, oatmeal-based nutritional breakfasts aimed at making healthy eating accessible and enjoyable. The company provides a variety of high-protein oatmeal cups that are designed to be prepared overnight, ensuring a quick and easy meal option for consumers. Committed to quality, Oats Overnight incorporates superfoods such as maca root, raw cacao, and hemp, along with certified gluten-free oats, into its products. By offering oatmeal cups made with real fruit, nuts, and seeds, the company enables customers to enjoy a nutritious breakfast without compromising on flavor.

Chip City Cookies

Series B in 2024
Chip City Cookies operates a bakery chain that offers a diverse selection of gourmet cookies across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island in New York. Known for its 5.5-ounce signature cookie, which is served warm, the company features over 40 different cookie variations on a daily rotating menu. In addition to individual cookie sales, Chip City provides special packages designed for various occasions such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, baby showers, bridal showers, and corporate events, catering to a wide range of customer needs.

Five Iron Golf

Private Equity Round in 2024
Five Iron Golf is an indoor golf facility founded in 2015 and based in New York City. It has transformed Manhattan's golf culture with its innovative approach, expanding from its original Midtown location to multiple venues. The company caters to both professionals and sports enthusiasts, offering a range of amenities, including state-of-the-art full swing and Trackman simulators, experienced teaching professionals, a full bar, and a chef-inspired menu. Additionally, Five Iron Golf provides versatile event spaces, creating an inclusive and accessible urban golf experience for its customers.

Culture POP Soda

Venture Round in 2024
Culture POP Soda is a probiotic drink made with real organic fruit juice and organic spices.

Qu

Venture Round in 2023
Qu is the restaurant industry’s leading digital-first platform. Designed from the cloud down to the POS, we simplify the complex multi-channel, multi-brand, menu ecosystem with a modern, intuitive platform that delivers data-rich experiences. Now, you can serve all your people better: operators, franchisees, employees, and guests.

Chip City Cookies

Venture Round in 2022
Chip City Cookies operates a bakery chain that offers a diverse selection of gourmet cookies across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island in New York. Known for its 5.5-ounce signature cookie, which is served warm, the company features over 40 different cookie variations on a daily rotating menu. In addition to individual cookie sales, Chip City provides special packages designed for various occasions such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, baby showers, bridal showers, and corporate events, catering to a wide range of customer needs.

ConverseNow

Venture Round in 2022
ConverseNow Technologies, Inc. specializes in developing voice artificial intelligence software aimed at enhancing the ordering process for quick service restaurants (QSRs). Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with an additional location in Gainesville, Florida, the company offers solutions that automate and personalize orders through various high-volume voice channels, including phone, drive-thru, self-service kiosks, and voice-assisted chat. This technology addresses the challenges posed by labor shortages in the $870 billion chain restaurant market, allowing restaurants to improve operational efficiency and customer service. By partnering with a range of national and multinational brands, ConverseNow has demonstrated the ability to significantly increase same-store sales and average ticket sizes while providing additional labor hours per store each month. The company's innovative approach not only enhances the customer experience but also supports restaurants in driving revenue growth and optimizing margins.

7shifts

Series C in 2022
7shifts is a comprehensive team management platform specifically designed for the restaurant industry. It offers a suite of tools that assist restaurateurs in making informed decisions, enhancing team retention, and streamlining operations. Catering to all staff levels, from front of house to back of house, 7shifts is utilized by over 40,000 restaurants and one million professionals in the sector. The platform features employee scheduling software that automates work hour management and provides detailed analytics, which fosters employee engagement and improves communication. By facilitating efficient scheduling and reducing the need for last-minute changes, 7shifts enables restaurant managers to optimize their workforce and lower labor costs.

PreciTaste

Series A in 2022
PreciTaste is a pioneer in AI kitchen management software, focusing on optimizing operations for foodservice brands. With over 2,500 deployed Food AI systems, the company uses proprietary technology, including deep learning and vision sensing, to help kitchens prepare and cook precise amounts of food based on predicted demand. Its solutions streamline key operations, such as food preparation and order fulfillment, and include self-management tools that automate cooking processes to enhance order accuracy. PreciTaste serves a diverse range of sectors, including quick service restaurants, retailers, and commercial bakers, aiming to improve productivity and reduce food waste. With more than a decade of experience in food AI applications and a team of over 80 engineers, PreciTaste addresses significant labor and food challenges in the industry through its comprehensive suite of software products. The company's recent growth funding has been led by notable investors, positioning it for continued advancement in AI automation within the foodservice sector.

Tacombi

Venture Round in 2021
Tacombi is a food and beverage brand specializing in Mexican cuisine and culture, with a focus on providing an authentic dining experience. Established in 2010 with the opening of its first taqueria in a downtown New York garage, Tacombi has expanded its presence with neighborhood taquerias in New York, Washington, DC, and Miami. The brand is renowned for its traditional "Vista Hermosa" tortilla products, which are crafted to preserve and share the rich flavors of Mexico. In addition to tacos, Tacombi's menu features a diverse selection of items, including quesadillas, burritos, burgers, soups, salads, and a variety of beverages like cocktails and Aguas Frescas. Their Vista Hermosa products are also distributed in stores nationwide, broadening access to their authentic offerings.

NotCo

Series D in 2021
NotCo is a food technology company based in Macul, Chile, founded in 2015. The company specializes in producing plant-based alternatives to traditional animal products, including mayonnaise, milk, yogurt, dressings, and desserts. By leveraging artificial intelligence, NotCo recreates the taste, texture, color, and aroma of animal-based products using ingredients such as pineapple, coconut, cabbage, peas, bamboo, beets, chickpeas, and seeds. This innovative approach not only provides consumers with plant-based options but also offers manufacturers a new source of fiber, calcium, and protein derived from vegetables. NotCo distributes its products through retailers in Chile, aiming to transform food systems and promote sustainable consumption.

NotCo

Venture Round in 2021
NotCo is a food technology company based in Macul, Chile, founded in 2015. The company specializes in producing plant-based alternatives to traditional animal products, including mayonnaise, milk, yogurt, dressings, and desserts. By leveraging artificial intelligence, NotCo recreates the taste, texture, color, and aroma of animal-based products using ingredients such as pineapple, coconut, cabbage, peas, bamboo, beets, chickpeas, and seeds. This innovative approach not only provides consumers with plant-based options but also offers manufacturers a new source of fiber, calcium, and protein derived from vegetables. NotCo distributes its products through retailers in Chile, aiming to transform food systems and promote sustainable consumption.

7shifts

Series B in 2021
7shifts is a comprehensive team management platform specifically designed for the restaurant industry. It offers a suite of tools that assist restaurateurs in making informed decisions, enhancing team retention, and streamlining operations. Catering to all staff levels, from front of house to back of house, 7shifts is utilized by over 40,000 restaurants and one million professionals in the sector. The platform features employee scheduling software that automates work hour management and provides detailed analytics, which fosters employee engagement and improves communication. By facilitating efficient scheduling and reducing the need for last-minute changes, 7shifts enables restaurant managers to optimize their workforce and lower labor costs.

CLEAR

Venture Round in 2021
CLEAR, the secure identity company, uses biometrics to build a connected world that’s smarter and more secure. It links identity with different information sets, including credit cards, tickets to the game, reservations, frequent flyer numbers, flight manifests, health care identification, driver's licenses, and passports. CLEAR's data security framework meets the highest standards for performance and for protecting sensitive information — FISMA High- and SAFETY Act-certified by the Department of Homeland Security. CLEAR's users are always in control of their data and do not sell user information. CLEAR was founded by Caryn Seidman-Becker and Ken Cornick in November 2010 and is based in New York, United States.

Banza

Series B in 2019
Banza LLC is a food manufacturer based in Detroit, Michigan, that specializes in producing and wholesaling chickpea pasta. Founded in 2014, the company offers a variety of pasta shapes, including penne, rotini, shells, and elbows, aimed at providing nutritious comfort food alternatives. Banza's products are designed to be high in protein and fiber, allowing consumers to enjoy their favorite meals without compromising on health. The pasta is available in approximately 8,000 retail locations across the United States, including major stores such as Target, Kroger, and Whole Foods. Banza has received notable recognition, being featured in prominent publications like The New York Times and Bon Appetit, and has been celebrated as one of TIME Magazine's 25 Best Inventions of the Year.

Tripleseat Software

Venture Round in 2019
Tripleseat Software, LLC is a provider of sales and event management software designed for the owners and managers of restaurants, hotels, banquet facilities, and catering operations. Established in 2008 and based in Concord, Massachusetts, Tripleseat offers an online application that simplifies the management of various events, including private dining, corporate meetings, weddings, and special occasions. By addressing the traditionally manual processes associated with event management, Tripleseat enables venues to streamline their operations and enhance their event business, which can contribute significantly to their overall revenue. The platform includes features such as instant lead alerts, e-signatures, online payments, and synced calendars, thereby facilitating a more efficient workflow from initial inquiry to event execution.

Dig Inn

Venture Round in 2019
DIG operates a restaurant chain focused on providing fresh, locally sourced meals. With an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, the restaurants offer organic dishes prepared from scratch using vegetables, whole grains, and naturally-raised meats. The company collaborates closely with trusted farmers and producers to ensure high-quality ingredients. Customers can enjoy healthy, expertly crafted meals at an affordable average price, with the convenience of online ordering and direct table service.

Goldbelly

Series B in 2018
Goldbelly is an online platform that specializes in connecting consumers with local food makers and artisans across the United States. The company operates a marketplace that features a diverse range of iconic and regional foods, allowing customers to order specialty items from various cuisines. Goldbelly provides logistical support by supplying packaging and cold packs for shipping, enabling restaurants and food creators to deliver their products directly to consumers’ doorsteps. By facilitating this connection, Goldbelly helps small businesses expand their reach and increase revenue, making artisan foods accessible to a wider audience.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.