For those investors hungry for some tablets-in-restaurants payment action, E La Carte offered some apparently tasty shares as it raised $35 million for a global expansion.
“Previous investors Intel Capital and Romulus Capital returned to lead the round, which also included commitments from angel investor, entrepreneur, and Y Combinator head Sam Altman, and TriplePoint Capital,” TechCrunch reported.
The idea is that diners use the tablets—dubbed Presto—to make their food selections and to then pay directly from the table. The company claims a 5 percent boost in restaurant sales and an increase in table turnover of as many as 10 minutes. As much as restaurants want to lure customers into their doors, getting them to leave quickly is almost as profitable.
“Already in 100,000 Applebee’s nationwide, the company has inked distribution deals with other chains like Genghis Grill, and other, undisclosed, national chains,” the TechCrunch story reported. “And E la Carte isn’t the only player in the restaurant tablet game. Chili’s, the tex-mex hamburger chain owned by Brinker International, has turned to tablet manufacturer Ziosk to replace its menus with digital tableside tablets at its restaurants around the country.”
