Yokel
Friendly & behaved citizen by day, unruly insomniac by night. Unwilling to follow the masses & seeking truth. SVP @cayan..
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Acquisition | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Yokel offers a self-serve platform designed to assist independent restaurants in leveraging community fundraising for marketing purposes. Based in Toms River, NJ, the company provides tools that enable local eateries to organize and manage fundraising events, aiming to increase customer traffic and revenue.
The firm was founded by Jay and Caitlin Gould, a husband-and-wife team of tech entrepreneurs. Their venture into the restaurant technology space was a direct result of their personal experience as restaurant owners of Surf Poke. After observing a 500% spike in daily sales during fundraising events at their own establishment, they identified a market need for a scalable technology solution to help other independent restaurants replicate this success. This insight was inspired by the grassroots marketing tactics of large chains like Chipotle. Jay Gould's background includes co-founding Yashi, a location-focused advertising platform that was acquired by Nexstar Media Group for $33 million in 2015. His experience also extends to angel investing in various tech startups.
Yokel's business model is centered on providing a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform to a market where the majority of U.S. restaurants are single-unit operators. The platform equips these businesses with a suite of tools that are otherwise often associated with larger chains. These features include a customer relationship management (CRM) system for retargeting event supporters with promotions, scheduling tools to manage event booking and staffing, and the automation of tax documentation. By providing these capabilities, Yokel aims to turn community engagement into a measurable customer acquisition channel.
For community organizations such as schools, local sports teams, and non-profits, the platform offers a streamlined process for booking and promoting fundraising events. It provides them with real-time feedback and access to supporter discounts, facilitating a direct financial and engagement loop between local groups and restaurants.