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Grocers Invest in Kitchen United

Specialty Food Association

Kitchen United announced yesterday a $100 million Series C fundraise with investors including Kroger, Couche-Tard, and Restaurant Brands International. A Kroger in Dallas recently implemented the state’s first Kitchen United Mix, a virtual food court from the ghost kitchen company that allows customers to mix and match items from various restaurants in one order.

Upon completion of this funding, the company will have raised approximately $175 million to date.

"This Series C financing further solidifies Kitchen United's leadership position in the industry," said Michael Montagano, Kitchen United's CEO and board member, in a statement. "Kitchen United uniquely sits at the intersection of technology, food, and real estate. Our solution serves as the technological and physical infrastructure revolutionizing centrally located distribution hubs through streamlining off-premises ordering and consumption."

Kitchen United allows foodservice operators of emerging and established restaurants alike to work out of its commercial kitchen spaces to enter new markets without having to commit to a brick and mortar.

"We see many commercial opportunities in partnering with Kitchen United as it prepares for considerable scale," said Kevin Lewis, CMO of Alimentation Couche-Tard, in a statement. “We believe this business stands apart from other industry players with its centralized locations, multi-format offerings, experienced management team, and mature technology stack—all of which align with Circle K's mission to make our customers' lives a little easier every day as we work together to shape the future of convenience.”

Kitchen United has approximately 200 kitchens, with plans to increase its footprint soon, focusing on Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Texas as key markets. It hopes to further evolve its ordering technology platform for use by its vendors.

Related: Dallas Kroger Houses Kitchen United Mix; Giant Eagle, Flashfood Expand Partnership