GEN C: Restaurants, Loyalty and Getting $FLY With Ben Leventhal, Founder and CEO of Blackbird Labs
Oct 16, 2023
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Ben Leventhal, founder of Eater and Resy, discusses bringing restaurants on-chain and building loyalty. They explore challenges in the restaurant industry and the importance of recognizing loyal customers. Blackbird Labs is presented as a solution utilizing blockchain technology.
Blackbird Labs uses NFC chips to connect restaurants with customers, enabling better customer identification and loyalty.
Blackbird aims to empower restaurants by providing tools to improve connectivity, loyalty, and interaction with customers.
Deep dives
Blackbird: Connecting Restaurants and Customers
Blackbird, founded by Ben Leventhal, aims to empower restaurants by helping them build stronger connections with customers. The platform utilizes NFC chips to enable guests to check in when visiting a restaurant, triggering a digital handshake that connects them to the restaurant. This fosters better customer identification and loyalty. Blackbird's vision is to give restaurants the ability to know and understand their customers, allowing them to enhance their offerings, increase revenue, and create more sustainable businesses. By leveraging blockchain technology and creating a digital community, Blackbird seeks to transform how restaurants operate and reimagine the relationship between customers and the dining experience.
The Challenges Faced by Restaurants
The restaurant industry faces significant challenges, such as shrinking profit margins and increasing costs for rent, labor, and goods. Despite growing consumer enthusiasm for restaurants, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to remain financially viable. Blackbird aims to address these challenges by providing restaurants with tools to improve connectivity, loyalty, and interaction with customers. By understanding their customers better, restaurants can optimize their offerings, increase revenue from loyal customers, and ultimately thrive in a competitive industry.
The Importance of Loyalty and Community
Blackbird recognizes the value of loyalty and community in the restaurant industry. By utilizing NFC chips and a digital identification system, Blackbird enables restaurants to learn more about their customers and build stronger relationships. This connectivity allows restaurants to optimize their marketing strategies, tailor experiences for their customer base, and reward loyalty effectively. Blackbird aims to create a network of passionate customers and empower restaurants to become community hubs that foster a sense of belonging and engagement.
The Future of the Restaurant Industry and Blackbird's Vision
Blackbird envisions a future where restaurants have a deeper understanding of their customers, increased financial independence, and more control over their destiny. By leveraging blockchain technology, Blackbird aims to revolutionize the industry by providing restaurants with the tools and insights necessary to thrive. The platform's focus on connectivity, loyalty, and customer-driven experiences has the potential to reshape how restaurants operate and create a stronger, more sustainable landscape for both businesses and consumers.
Nobody understands restaurants like Ben Leventhal. From starting Eater and Resy to his new venture, Blackbird, Ben discusses bringing restaurants on-chain and building loyalty.
In this episode of the podcast, Avery and Sam chop it up with Ben Leventhal from Blackbird Labs. Ben has been a successful entrepreneur having started Eater, acquired by Vox, and Resy, acquired by Amex, and is now using NFTs and loyalty rewards on-chain to connect restaurants with their best customers with his new venture, Blackbird Labs.
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"Gen C" features hosts Sam Ewen and Avery Akkineni, with editing by Jonas Huck. Executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced by Uyen Truong. Our theme music is "1882” by omgkirby x Channel Tres with editing by Doc Blust. Artwork by Nicole Marie Rincon.