Restaurant Platforms Make Embedded Finance Part of Daily Operations

As platforms expand the services they offer merchants, financing is emerging as a feature that can be delivered through the same software businesses use every day.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “The Embedded Finance Scale Factor: How Firm Size Shapes Strategy, Technology and Partnership Decisions” found that nearly 80% of middle-market companies expect to upgrade their embedded finance capabilities within the next 12 months, while larger organizations place greater emphasis on selecting partners whose financial services fit within existing technology environments. Embedded finance is becoming part of enterprise infrastructure rather than a standalone product.

Restaurant technology providers provide one of the clearest examples of that evolution.

Companies that began by helping restaurants accept digital orders, process payments and manage day-to-day operations are extending those platforms into working capital. Instead of directing merchants to a separate lender, they are placing financing inside the same systems restaurants already rely on to operate their businesses.

One example comes from YouLend and Just Eat Takeaway.com. The companies said this month that their embedded financing partnership has now provided more than the equivalent of about $167 million in financing across seven European markets.

The figures suggest a change in how embedded financing is being used. A restaurant that repeatedly returns to financing offered through its operating platform is treating capital as part of routine business management rather than as a one-time response to financial stress. Financing becomes another operational capability alongside payments, ordering, marketing and customer management.

By placing financing inside the merchant platform, eligible businesses could obtain funding through a digital workflow already familiar to them, reducing the friction associated with traditional lending processes.

Embedded Finance Deepens the Merchant Relationship

Toast reflects a similar direction through its restaurant operating platform.

Toast has incorporated capital into a platform that already includes point-of-sale technology, payment processing, payroll, online ordering, marketing and other operational tools. That structure gives the company visibility into merchant activity that can support financing decisions while allowing restaurant operators to manage another business function without leaving the platform.

The company also disclosed continued expansion of Toast Capital. As of March 31, Toast had a net $22 million in loans held for investment. Accounts receivables were $138 million compared to $127 million at the end of 2025.

DoorDash has followed a comparable path. While arguably best known for marketplace delivery, the company has broadened its merchant offering through its Commerce Platform. Via DoorDash Capital, financing complements the broader suite of merchant capabilities by extending the platform’s role beyond commerce execution into business operations.

Taken together, the announcements point to a broader competitive shift among restaurant technology providers. Payments remain central to their business models, but payments alone no longer define the platform relationship. Companies are assembling broader operating ecosystems that combine commerce, software and financial services inside a single environment.

For restaurant operators, the appeal lies in convenience and continuity. The same platform that accepts orders, settles transactions and manages customer relationships can also provide access to working capital. For platform providers, embedded finance offers another way to strengthen merchant relationships.

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