From Eater to Blackbird: Ben Leventhal on Restaurants, Loyalty, and Rebuilding Payments
Source: YouTube · a16z crypto · published Feb 11, 2026 · 15:35
Blackbird is using blockchain technology to help restaurants control their payment systems and customer data, addressing the issue that restaurants currently don't control the trillion dollars in payments flowing through their establishments 0:03.
Key Takeaways:
• Ben's background in restaurants comes from his love for the social experience and happy memories in restaurants 0:41
• Blackbird uses crypto to give consumers control of their data and potentially decentralize restaurant payment networks 3:32
• When pitching to restaurants, Blackbird focuses on practical benefits like lowering costs and filling seats rather than the crypto technology 5:26
• Blackbird's go-to-market strategy targets neighborhoods and all restaurant types, from fine dining to coffee shops 8:55
• Ben believes we're in the "golden age of restaurants" with great food available in every city 11:30
Blackbird aims to be restaurant-first and is expanding from major cities to suburbs, with a vision of transforming how restaurants handle payments and customer relationships.
Sources:
- 0:03 Discussion of restaurants not controlling payment rails
- 0:41 Ben explains his love for restaurants and how it began
- 3:32 How Blackbird uses crypto and blockchain for restaurants
- 5:26 How Blackbird pitches to restaurants without focusing on crypto
- 8:55 Blackbird's go-to-market strategy targeting neighborhoods
- 11:30(https:
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First 800 characters of the transcript
Most restaurants just want to understand how are you going to lower my costs and how are you going to put butts and seats. The idea that we have in restaurants a trillion dollars of sales in 2025 flowing through payments rails across the country and restaurants don't control those rails at all. That's problematic. And so changing the notion of who owns the network and who benefits is a really important way that I think we're going to wind up using blockchain. Ben, so you've built a number of companies in the restaurant industry. You've built Eater, you built Resi, and now you're working on Blackbird. Where did your love of restaurants begin? I I can't really pinpoint it for you. I mean, I think we all love restaurants. We all love going to a great local spot and having a delicious meal and…