Radar · Food Service Chains in California
Best Food Service Chains Companies in California, United States
The 372 best Food Service Chains companies in California, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Sweetgreen.
By Riya SenguptaFinancials
372companies tracked
$2.7Bdisclosed funding
0unicorns
89have raised
FLIAR INTELLIGENCE · FOOD SERVICE CHAINS × CALIFORNIA
Our analysis of 50 Food Service Chains companies
$8.5b in tracked funding; 90% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
50companies analysed
90%cloud-native stacks
2025funding peak (by rounds)
1unicorns
2010median founding year
441kcombined LinkedIn audience
61%of audience held by top 3
7companies hiring publicly (12 mo)
Ranked: Best Food Service Chains companies in California
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweetgreen Restaurant chains offer salads and meal bowls 78Customers top 19%Tech top 25%News top 25%Funding top 26% All 14 signals ▾Customerstop 19% Techtop 25% Newstop 25% Fundingtop 26% Partnerstop 27% Markettop 29% Talenttop 29% Fin. healthtop 34% Producttop 34% Globaltop 35% Moattop 43% Growthtop 45% Patentsbottom 49% Innovationbottom 44% Customers: Play-Store rating 4.83★ across 5,261 ratings (1 apps) · Review volume +21% in 6 mo Tech: 88 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 78/100 | $479M | 80 mo ago | 4,877 4,877 → 2,827 (-42%) | 2006 | Amazon WebstoreCart FunctionalityContentful+30 | 3 patents Modular food container designs for efficient meal assembly and packaging | 1 launch · 2 expansions |
| 2 | Zume Pizza Restaurant serving pizza 69Growth top 8%Talent top 15%Funding top 30%Product top 45% All 11 signals ▾Growthtop 8% Talenttop 15% Fundingtop 30% Producttop 45% Moattop 47% Patentstop 49% Marketbottom 44% Innovationbottom 43% Globalbottom 42% Newsbottom 32% Techbottom 30% Growth: Headcount 306 → 665 (+117%) across vintages Talent: Analyst team rating 5/5 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | $452M | 91 mo ago | 665 | 2015 | — | 36 patents Robotic food assembly, autonomous delivery vehicles, and smart vending kiosk technologies. | — |
| 3 | Wingstop Chain of restaurant serving chicken wings | $250M | 100 mo ago | 1,225 | 1994 | SentryAtlassian Jira Issue CollectorZendesk+37 | — | — |
| 4 | Cheesecake Factory Restaurant chain and the distributor of cheesecakes | $200M | 73 mo ago | 47,500 | 1978 | Cart FunctionalityDrupalApple iCloud Mail+18 | — | — |
| 5 | LYFE Kitchen Healthy food restaurant chain | $108M | 133 mo ago | 501 | 2011 | SentryTypeScriptGraphQL+16 | — | — |
| 6 | Everytable Fresh, nutritious meals accessible to everyone, everywhere, promoting community upliftment 37Funding top 33%Tech top 33%Product top 40%Growth top 45% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 33% Techtop 33% Producttop 40% Growthtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 34% Newsbottom 22% Customersbottom 1% Funding: Raised $108M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 10 yrs (0.7/yr) Tech: 58 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Web Services, Azure rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $108M | 35 mo ago | 189 189 → 173 (-8%) | 2013 | Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+40 | — | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 7 | ecosense lighting EcoSense Lighting designs and develops lighting solutions for commercial and residential applications. | $101M | 62 mo ago | 139 128 → 88 (-31%) | 2009 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+44 | 349 patents Smart circadian lighting systems with automated design, low‑blue LEDs, sky‑color simulation | — |
| 8 | good culture Chain of limited service restaurant offering deserts 76Funding top 19%Growth top 25%Product top 25%News top 29% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 19% Growthtop 25% Producttop 25% Newstop 29% Innovationtop 36% Techtop 37% Marketbottom 45% Partnersbottom 40% Globalbottom 29% Funding: Raised $85.8M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 10 yrs (0.7/yr) Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 76/100 | $86M | 4 mo ago | 40 | 2014 | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | — | 2 job openings |
| 9 | The Veggie Grill Vegan restaurant chain offering plant-based menus, catering, and gift cards | $65M | 66 mo ago | 700 | 2006 | Cart FunctionalitySentryVarnish+24 | — | — |
| 10 | Pacific Catch Sustainable seafood restaurant inspired by Pacific Rim flavors and cultures | $52M | 73 mo ago | 43 | 2003 | Cart FunctionalityWordPressApple iCloud Mail+28 | — | — |
| 11 | FAT Brands Restaurant franchise serving hot dog, burger, grill & wings, and american cookies | $51M | 81 mo ago | 5,400 | 2017 | WordPressMarkerZendesk+30 | — | — |
| 12 | Fresh Enterprises Chain of limited service restaurant serving Mexican cuisine | $50M | 189 mo ago | 1,189 | 1990 | SkolengoApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+28 | 161 patents Innovative toothbrush designs with angled bristles, illumination, and integrated mouthwash dispensing. | — |
| 13 | Pinkberry Frozen yogurt franchise offering diverse flavors, toppings, and on-the-go options | $46M | 187 mo ago | 150 | 2005 | SkolengoCart FunctionalityApple iCloud Mail+24 | — | — |
| 14 | WKS Restaurant Restaurant Group | $43M | 148 mo ago | 1,530 | 1987 | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | — | — |
| 15 | Salted Builder of digital-first restaurant brands 42Funding top 21%Growth top 29%Talent bottom 49%Tech bottom 45% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 21% Growthtop 29% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 45% Moatbottom 42% Globalbottom 40% Marketbottom 37% Patentsbottom 28% Newsbottom 22% Innovationbottom 19% Funding: Raised $42.8M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 6 yrs (0.8/yr) Growth: Headcount 49 → 65 (+33%) across vintages · Web rank 50,000,000 → 10,000,000 YoY rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 42/100 | $43M | 6 mo ago | 65 | 2014 | Squarespace CommerceSquarespaceApple iCloud Mail+16 | 2 patents Email analytics platform for measuring and optimizing email campaign performance | — |
| 16 | Gold Star Foods School foods supplier | $40M | 111 mo ago | 398 398 → 367 (-8%) | 1996 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+27 | — | 2 job openings |
| 17 | Vino Volo Chain of casual dining restaurant offering food & wines | $37M | 149 mo ago | 209 | 2004 | WordPressMySQLPHP+10 | — | 1 award |
| 18 | Tender Greens Farm-to-table restaurant chain | $34M | 80 mo ago | 286 | 2006 | Cart FunctionalityWordPressApple iCloud Mail+27 | — | — |
| 19 | Tom's Watch Bar Chain of breweries | $30M | 43 mo ago | 82 | 2019 | WordPressMySQLPHP+33 | — | 1 award |
| 20 | John’s Incredible Pizza Company Restaurant chain primarily serving pizza | $30M | 154 mo ago | 369 | 1997 | SentryApple iCloud MailWindows Server+14 | — | — |
| 21 | Boudin Bakery Chain of bakery cafes | $30M | 156 mo ago | 454 454 → 498 (+10%) | 1849 | Cart FunctionalityWooCommerceWordPress+23 | — | — |
| 22 | THE H.WOOD GROUP Offers event catering services 50Growth top 35%Talent top 38%Funding top 42%Tech top 47% All 7 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Talenttop 38% Fundingtop 42% Techtop 47% Moatbottom 38% Marketbottom 32% Globalbottom 29% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $25M | 5 mo ago | — | 2008 | WordPressMySQLPHP+31 | — | — |
| 23 | Guckenheimer Offers in-office catering services | $24M | 159 mo ago | 102 | 1997 | Apple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365Node.js+16 | — | 1 award |
| 24 | Starbird Chicken Chain of limited service restaurant offering chicken | $21M | 55 mo ago | 29 | 2015 | Webflow EcommerceCart FunctionalityWebflow+23 | — | 5 job openings · 1 award |
| 25 | Umami Burger Chain of quick service restaurant serving burgers | $20M | 159 mo ago | — | 2009 | WordPressMySQLPHP+17 | — | — |
| 26 | Lolli and Pops Curated candy, chocolates, gummies, and gifts for spreading joy and love | $17M | 132 mo ago | 800 | 2007 | Cart FunctionalityShopifyGoogle Maps+27 | — | — |
| 27 | Fatburger Chain of restaurants offering burger | $16M | 202 mo ago | 119 | 1952 | SkolengoCart FunctionalityApple iCloud Mail+30 | — | — |
| 28 | Pieology Chain of limited service restaurant offering pizza | $15M | 104 mo ago | 719 | 2010 | SkolengoCart FunctionalityTypeScript+26 | — | — |
| 29 | Alexander's Steakhouse Owns and operates restaurant chains | $15M | 89 mo ago | 139 | 2005 | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+16 | — | — |
| 30 | Grill Concepts Chain of limited service restaurant | $15M | 200 mo ago | 158 | 1984 | — | — | — |
| 31 | Asian Box Vietnamese-inspired fast-casual restaurant offering fresh, healthy, and gluten-free cuisine | $12M | 80 mo ago | 44 | 2011 | Cart FunctionalitySentryMUI+23 | — | — |
| 32 | Paul Martin Chain of casual dining restaurants offering food & drinks | $12M | 120 mo ago | 266 | 2007 | Cart FunctionalityWooCommerceWordPress+28 | — | — |
| 33 | Cookdash Chain of limited service restaurant | $11M | 40 mo ago | 15 | 2018 | — | — | — |
| 34 | Dandelion Chocolate Bean-to-bar chocolate maker crafting single-origin bars with just cocoa and sugar | $10M | 120 mo ago | 71 | 2010 | Shogun Page BuilderCart FunctionalityShopify+38 | — | — |
| 35 | Luna Grill Chain of casual dining restaurant | $9M | 104 mo ago | 241 | 2004 | WordPress Block EditorCart FunctionalityWooCommerce+32 | — | — |
| 36 | Pizzana Chain of limited service restaurant offering pizza | $8M | 60 mo ago | 29 | 2016 | Cart FunctionalityShopifyPrivy App+29 | — | 1 launch |
| 37 | Plant Power Fast Food Vegan fast food restaurant chain | $8M | 60 mo ago | 84 | 2015 | Cart FunctionalityGoogle MapsMUI+19 | — | — |
| 38 | The Organic Coup Chain of limited service restaurant offering chicken | $7M | 118 mo ago | 14 | 2015 | PHPZURB FoundationLaravel+12 | — | — |
| 39 | Everbowl Acai bowl restaurant crafting fresh, fruit-forward superfoods for active lifestyles | $6M | 63 mo ago | 450 | 2016 | PHPAmazon ALBAmazon Web Services+22 | — | — |
| 40 | Pizza Studio Fast casual pizza chain | $6M | 126 mo ago | 161 | 2012 | BootstrapApache HTTP ServerGoogle Font API+8 | — | — |
| 41 | Lemonadela.com Chain of restaurants | $6M | 120 mo ago | 900 | 2008 | Cart FunctionalityContentfulSentry+23 | — | — |
| 42 | Kings Seafood Chain of restaurant offering seafood | $6M | 108 mo ago | 853 | 1945 | Webflow EcommerceWebflowSendgrid+15 | — | — |
| 43 | Smitten Ice Cream Freshly churned ice cream shop offering unique flavors and catering | $5M | 90 mo ago | 51 | 2011 | Cart FunctionalitySentryVarnish+21 | — | — |
| 44 | The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Online retailer of premium coffee, tea, powders, drinkware, and equipment | $5M | 153 mo ago | 5,000 | 1963 | Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+31 | — | — |
| 45 | Mendocino Farms Chain of limited service restaurant serving sandwiches | $5M | 128 mo ago | 467 467 → 830 (+78%) | 2005 | Cart FunctionalityWordPressMySQL+36 | — | 2 job openings · 3 expansions |
| 46 | Workshop Cafe Owns and operates a chain of cafes | $3M | 126 mo ago | 12 | 2012 | — | — | — |
| 47 | Drumroll Provider of plant-based donuts 48Growth top 35%Tech top 36%Talent top 38%Funding bottom 45% All 6 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Techtop 36% Talenttop 38% Fundingbottom 45% Globalbottom 29% Marketbottom 28% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Tech: 43 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $3M | 19 mo ago | — | 2019 | Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+40 | — | — |
| 48 | Acme Bread Renowned artisanal bakery specializing in handcrafted, breads and pastries 37Growth top 35%Talent top 38%Funding bottom 49%Tech bottom 40% All 6 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Talenttop 38% Fundingbottom 49% Techbottom 40% Marketbottom 28% Globalbottom 25% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $3M | 22 mo ago | — | 1983 | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+12 | — | — |
| 49 | Yo-Kai Express AI-powered autonomous restaurant serving gourmet meals anytime, anywhere | $1M | 45 mo ago | 15 | 2016 | Cart FunctionalityWix eCommerceWix+17 | 63 patents Automated food heating and vending machines with self‑cleaning and quick‑freeze capabilities | — |
| 50 | Palmetto Superfoods Chain of vegan and plant-based food restaurants | $561K | 27 mo ago | — | 2018 | Wix eCommerceCart FunctionalityWix+13 | — | — |
Top 12 Food Service Chains companies in California
#1
Series C · Irvine, California · founded 2014 · 40 employees$85.8Mraised▾
Series C · Irvine, California · founded 2014 · 40 employees
Chain of limited service restaurant offering deserts
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 76how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 19%Growth
top 25%Product
top 25%News
top 29%Innovation
top 36%Tech
top 37%Funding: Raised $85.8M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 10 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Series C (Feb 2026)
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Product: 8 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series C
Audience (LinkedIn): 16k LinkedIn followers — 3.7% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 3 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum +1 · hiring: Accounting Manager, People Operations Manager
Funding rounds
- Feb 2026Series C$55M
- Feb 2022Series C$64M
- May 2020Series B$4M
- Feb 2019Series B$8M
Investors
CAVU Consumer Partners, ALMANAC, 301 INC, General Mills, Manna Tree, SEMCAP
Tech stack
BootstrapCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCookiebotCore-JsElementor
#2
Series B · Los Angeles, California · founded 2014 · 65 employees$42.8Mraised▾
Series B · Los Angeles, California · founded 2014 · 65 employees
Builder of digital-first restaurant brands. This company develops and operates national restaurant brands specifically designed to appeal to a new generation of consumers. The focus is on creating clean and craveable food experiences optimized for digital platforms and modern consumer preferences. The brands reflect current trends in food and dining, emphasizing a streamlined and efficient approach to restaurant operations.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 42how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 21%Growth
top 29%Talent
bottom 49%Tech
bottom 45%Moat
bottom 42%Global
bottom 40%Funding: Raised $42.8M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 6 yrs (0.8/yr) · Last round Series B (Dec 2025)
Growth: Headcount 49 → 65 (+33%) across vintages · Web rank 50,000,000 → 10,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated
Funding rounds
- Dec 2025Series B$21.5M
- Oct 2023Series B$14M
- Oct 2021Series A$16M
- May 2021Seed$9M
Founders & team
Investors
Kamine Development, Craft Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, PROOF, Wonder Ventures, Creadev
Tech stack
AngularApple Icloud MailCore-JsGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle Workspace
#3
Acquired · West Hollywood, California · founded 2008$25Mraised▾
Acquired · West Hollywood, California · founded 2008
Offers event catering services
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 50how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 35%Talent
top 38%Funding
top 42%Tech
top 47%Moat
bottom 38%Market
bottom 32%Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Funding: Raised $25.0M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 12 yrs (0.2/yr) · Last round Series C (Dec 2025)
Funding rounds
- Dec 2025Series C$511.7K
- Mar 2025Series C$123.7M
- Mar 2022Series B$25M
- Jun 2014Series A—
Founders & team
Investors
Hakkasan Group, 1Spot Media
Tech stack
All In One SeoBabelCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementContact Form 7Core-Js
#4
Series C · Vernon, California · founded 2013 · 189 employees$108.3Mraised▾
Series C · Vernon, California · founded 2013 · 189 employees
Fresh, nutritious meals accessible to everyone, everywhere, promoting community upliftment. The company transforms the food system by providing scratch-cooked meals made with quality ingredients. They operate neighborhood locations where customers can purchase meals or order online for pickup or delivery. Their business model focuses on efficiency to offer affordable pricing, especially in food deserts and underserved communities. They also have locations in affluent areas, pricing their meals according to the neighborhood they serve. The company has a Social Equity Franchise program, helping entrepreneurs from underserved communities own multiple locations. Their Pay It Forward program allows customers to buy a meal for someone in need. They offer subscription services, online ordering, cart, login, and delivery options. The company is focused on social impact, community building, and providing fresh, accessible food options.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 33%Tech
top 33%Product
top 40%Growth
top 45%Talent
bottom 49%Global
bottom 39%Funding: Raised $108M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 10 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Series C (Jun 2023)
Tech: 58 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Web Services, Azure · Observability: Microsoft Clarity, Sentry
Product: 1 published app (451 installs) · Company stage: Series C
Audience (LinkedIn): 13k LinkedIn followers — 3.0% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 1 partnerships (incl. Everytable) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jun 2023Series C$25M
- Aug 2022Series C$55M
- Jan 2022Grant (prize money)$20K
- Nov 2020Series B$16M
Founders & team
Investors
Chipotle, Acumen, The California Wellness Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Lerer Hippeau
Tech stack
AccessibeAddshoppersAdrollAdroll Cmp SystemAmazon Web ServicesApple Icloud Mail
#5
Seed · Los Angeles, California · founded 2019$3Mraised▾
Seed · Los Angeles, California · founded 2019
Provider of plant-based donuts. It offers donuts in various flavors like chocolate and vanilla. It also offers a delicious and nutritious treat that is low in sugar and high in protein.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 48how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 35%Tech
top 36%Talent
top 38%Funding
bottom 45%Global
bottom 29%Market
bottom 28%Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Tech: 43 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare · Observability: Sentry
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Funding rounds
- Oct 2024Seed$3M
Founders & team
Investors
Pretzelized, Dream Ventures
Tech stack
Apple PayCart FunctionalityCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-JsEmotive
#6
Public · Los Angeles, California · founded 2006 · 4877 employees$479.1Mraised▾
Public · Los Angeles, California · founded 2006 · 4877 employees
Restaurant chains offer salads and meal bowls. Its other products include chicken items, kid's meals, local food dishes, desserts, and drinks. It also provides customized food platters and supply network services.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 78how this company ranks against its industry peers
Customers
top 19%Tech
top 25%News
top 25%Funding
top 26%Partners
top 27%Market
top 29%Customers: Play-Store rating 4.83★ across 5,261 ratings (1 apps) · Review volume +21% in 6 mo · Marquee-customer mentions: top 17% of tracked companies
Tech: 88 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 · Observability: Datadog, Fullstory
News: 51 BI events in 12 mo (of 212 tracked, 11 types) · +82% YoY · 6 high-value events (IPO/M&A/funding/contracts) in 12 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 76k LinkedIn followers — 17.3% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 2 expansions announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2019Series I$150M
- Oct 2018Series H$200M
- Aug 2016Series G$40M
- Jun 2015Series F$35M
Founders & team
Investors
Revolution, Fidelity Investments, Evolution VC Partners, T. Rowe Price, Lone Pine Capital, True Ventures
Tech stack
Alpine.JsAmazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon SesAmazon Web ServicesApache Http Server
#7
Deadpooled · Mountain View, California · founded 2015 · 665 employees$451.7Mraised▾
Deadpooled · Mountain View, California · founded 2015 · 665 employees
Restaurant serving pizza
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 69how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 8%Talent
top 15%Funding
top 30%Product
top 45%Moat
top 47%Patents
top 49%Growth: Headcount 306 → 665 (+117%) across vintages
Talent: Analyst team rating 5/5
Funding: Raised $452M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 11 yrs (0.4/yr) · Last round Series C (Nov 2018)
Funding rounds
- Nov 2018Series C$375M
- Oct 2017Series B$48M
- Dec 2016Series A$23M
- Jul 2016Series A$5.7M
Investors
SoftBank Vision Fund, AME Cloud Ventures, Maveron, SignalFire, Kortschak Investments, Ambrosia Investments
Tech stack
WordpressMysqlPhpHello ElementorElementorYoast Seo
#8
Funding Raised · Berkeley, California · founded 1983$2.9Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Berkeley, California · founded 1983
Acme Bread Company is a renowned bakery that has been a pioneer in the San Francisco Bay Area's "Bread Revolution" since 1983. The company is known for its high-quality, artisanal bread products made using traditional methods and natural ingredients. With multiple retail locations, Acme Bread Company offers a range of bread types, including sourdough, whole wheat, and walnut levain, among others.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 35%Talent
top 38%Funding
bottom 49%Tech
bottom 40%Market
bottom 28%Global
bottom 25%Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Funding: Raised $2.9M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 2 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Conventional Debt (Jul 2024)
Funding rounds
- Jul 2024Conventional Debt$2.9M
Founders & team
Tech stack
AngularCart FunctionalityCore-JsGoogle Font ApiHstsHttp/3
#9
Public · Calabasas, California · founded 1978 · 47500 employees$200Mraised▾
Public · Calabasas, California · founded 1978 · 47500 employees
The company operates 185 full-service dining restaurants: 165 under The Cheesecake Factory brand, 11 under the Grand Lux Cafe brand and one under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen brand. They produce approximately 70 varieties of cheesecake based on their proprietary recipes. It was founded by Evelyn Overton.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 94k LinkedIn followers — 21.2% of this cohort's audience · 62 engagements/post (2.4× cohort median)
Funding rounds
- Apr 2020Post IPO$200M
Founders & team
Investors
Roark Capital, DekaBank
Tech stack
Acquia Cloud PlatformAddtoanyAmazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailBackbone.JsCart Functionality
#10
Public · Daly City, California · founded 1994 · 1225 employees$250Mraised▾
Public · Daly City, California · founded 1994 · 1225 employees
Chain of restaurant serving chicken wings
Funding rounds
- Feb 2018Conventional Debt$250M
Founders & team
Investors
Wells Fargo, Atticus Franchise Group, Boston York Restaurant Group, Arrowhead Investment Management, Gemini, Streetlight Capital Management
Tech stack
AdrollAdroll Cmp SystemAmazon CloudfrontAmazon Web ServicesAngularApple Icloud Mail
#11
Series E · Los Angeles, California · founded 2009 · 139 employees$101Mraised▾
Series E · Los Angeles, California · founded 2009 · 139 employees
Operator of a restaurant chain intended to provide delicious cuisine to customers. The company operates in the restaurant space offering a dining room with contemporary American cuisine, a welcoming study, a rooftop event space overlooking downtown, and the crown jewel, enabling customers to avail themselves of a fun and enjoyable experience.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 10k LinkedIn followers — 2.2% of this cohort's audience
Activity: 7 product launches announced in 12 mo
Investors
Bain Capital Ventures, Flagship Pioneering, Richmond Global Ventures, Eastward Capital Partners, Nima Capital, Radian Capital
Tech stack
Anime.JsApache Http ServerApple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCookiebot
#12
Acquired · Los Angeles, California · founded 2006 · 700 employees$65.3Mraised▾
Acquired · Los Angeles, California · founded 2006 · 700 employees
Vegan restaurant chain offering plant-based menus, catering, and gift cards. Our commitment is to wholesome vegan ingredients, free from cholesterol, artificial dyes, and preservatives. We provide simple, wholesome goodness and fresh organic veggies, good for you and the planet. We offer plant-based menus combining classic favorites with innovative vegan options. Take your events to the next level with delicious catering you can feel good about! With something for everyone, we'll make your next birthday party, celebration, office, or group lunch unforgettable. Give the gift that's good for people, animals, and the planet with our gift cards. Order online or download the app for convenient access to our menu and services. We are committed to social impact by promoting sustainable and ethical food choices.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 6k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Nov 2020Series C$4.5M
- Jan 2020Series C$7.5M
- Jun 2016Series C$22M
- Dec 2014Series C—
Founders & team
Investors
Brentwood Associates, Breakwater, Powerplant Ventures, The Cambria Group, Coremix Capital, NaHCO3
Tech stack
Amazon Web ServicesAudioeyeBentoboxBootstrapCart FunctionalityCdnjs
Funding & investor landscape
$2.7Btotal disclosed funding
79companies funded
177disclosed rounds
0rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Notable founders
Jeffrey Appelbaum
CEO/Founder · Salted
Brian Toll
Co-Founder · THE H.WOOD GROUP
John Terzian
Co-Founder · THE H.WOOD GROUP
Sam Polk Cfa
CEO · Everytable
Ryan Brothers
Co-Founder · Drumroll
Hassan Safieddine
Co-Founder · Drumroll
Nathaniel Ru
Co-Founder · Sweetgreen
Jonathan Neman
Co-Founder + CEO · Sweetgreen
Steven Sullivan
Co-Founder · Acme Bread
Suzie Sullivan
Co-Founder · Acme Bread
David Overton
Co-Founder & CEO · Cheesecake Factory
Charlie Morrison
CEO · Wingstop
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 1,435,604 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Food Service Chains coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
RESEARCH IN CALIFORNIA · Agri & Food
How research on Food Tech in California is moving
A read on the academic research around Food Tech in California — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 242 papers.
UC Davis, Berkeley, and Santa Barbara lead California's food-tech research, focusing predominantly on food safety and sustainability concerns, with a cautiously contested tone (mean stance 0.13).
242 papers · stance +0.13 · 11% breakthrough · 51% concern
top institutions
- University of California, Davis79
- University of California, Berkeley37
- University of California, Santa Barbara16
- California Polytechnic State University11
- University of California, Los Angeles11
leading researchers
Grace A. Adegoye · Luxin Wang · Terezie Tolar-Peterson · Alejandro De Jesús Cortés-Sánchez · Christopher W. Simmons · David Zilberman
prism intelligence · tone & topics
71% positive · 24% critical tone
HealthAgricultureFood IndustryEnvironmentBusinessSustainability
▲
Breakthroughs21 · 9%
▲ 0%→10% share
0 median citations95% since 2021mostly methods-led
Food security research is newly emerging as a breakthrough topic, with Agriculture and Sustainability also brand-new at field-share rising 0%→10%.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Food security5
- Agriculture4
- Sustainability3
- Food safety3
- Supply chain2
Newly emergingFood security 0→5 · Agriculture 0→4 · Sustainability 0→3
Landmark Blockchain in food supply chains: a literature review and synthesis analysis of platforms, benefits and challenges · 268 cites
◆
Advancements69 · 29%
▲ 27%→29% share
▲1.1× share momentum2 median citations87% since 2021mostly empirical
Food processing leads advancements with 11 new papers; Production (economics) intensifying from 1→10 as Advancements field-share grows 27%→29%.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Production (economics)1→10
- Food safety2→10
- Food science1→7
- Human health1→3
Newly emergingFood processing 0→11 · Agriculture 0→10 · Food security 0→6
Landmark The dry chain: Reducing postharvest losses and improving food safety in humid climates · 271 cites
▼
Concerns94 · 39%
▼ 64%→35% share
▼0.5× share momentum1 median citations77% since 2021mostly empirical
Food safety concerns are intensifying — papers rose 3→19 — while Concerns field-share dropped sharply from 64%→35%.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Food safety3→19
- Food security2→15
- Food systems1→13
- Food processing2→11
- Agriculture3→12
Newly emergingFood industry 0→6 · Consumption (sociology) 0→5 · Food waste 0→5
Landmark Trends in Global Agricultural Land Use: Implications for Environmental Health and Food Security · 919 cites
Common questions
How many Food Service Chains companies are there in California, United States?
Radar tracks 372 indexable Food Service Chains companies headquartered in California, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Food Service Chains companies in California, United States?
The Food Service Chains companies in California, United States on this list have raised a combined $2.7B in disclosed equity funding across 79 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Food Service Chains company in California, United States?
Sweetgreen is the highest-funded Food Service Chains company in California, United States, with $479.1M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Food Service Chains companies in California, United States are funded?
79 of the 372 Food Service Chains companies in California, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Food Service Chains unicorns are there in California, United States?
None of the Food Service Chains companies in California, United States on this list currently has a disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in California, United States Food Service Chains companies?
The most active investors in California, United States Food Service Chains companies on this list include Brentwood Associates, KarpReilly, Boston York Restaurant Group, Kitchen Fund, L Catterton.
Riya SenguptaFinancials
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.