PLANTA Restaurants

What PLANTA Restaurants does

PLANTA Restaurants is a plant-based, full-service restaurant group founded in 2016 by Executive Chef David Lee. The company operates five US locations under multi-concept naming (PLANTA Queen, PLANTA Cocina, PLANTA Bethesda) across New York City (NoMad), Los Angeles (Marina del Rey), Chicago (River North), Washington DC (Dupont Circle), and Bethesda, MD, and previously operated in Toronto. The menu is entirely plant-forward across sushi/maki, large-format plates, and chef-driven seasonal specials, priced for the upscale-casual tier at approximately $28–$35+ per person.

The technology stack is a standard restaurant-industry composition: Toast handles point-of-sale and online ordering, SevenRooms handles reservations, Thanx underpins the PLANTA Passport loyalty app, Tripleseat manages private events, and BentoBox powers the marketing website. There is no proprietary software platform, no owned data science practice, and no AI tooling beyond what is bundled by these vendors. Menu refresh cadence is chef-led and seasonal, with documented 2024 launches including a multi-SKU 'Passport to Summer' rollout.

The business model is direct-to-consumer across dine-in, pickup/delivery, catering, private events, and gift cards. Average check sits in the upscale-casual range with active management of dayparts through pricing constructs (Maki Monday, Plant Power Lunch, Sunday Sauce, Happy Hour). The 2022 funding event ($16M) appears to remain the only disclosed institutional capital, and the 2024 exit from the Toronto market indicates a deliberate focus of remaining capital on US operations and unit-level revenue levers rather than aggressive multi-market buildout.

Name

PLANTA Restaurants

Legal name

PLANTA Restaurants

Website

https://plantarestaurants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

PLANTA Restaurants is a plant-based, full-service restaurant group operating five US locations under chef David Lee, serving upscale-casual vegan and vegetarian menus across dine-in, pickup, delivery, catering, private events, and gift-card channels in major US metropolitan markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-Based Full-Service Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)

Keywords

• Plant-based dining
• Vegan restaurants
• Restaurant catering services
• Private event venues
• Loyalty rewards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. In-Restaurant Dining: Full-service dine-in experience at 10 locations across US cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, and Bethesda. Revenue generated from food, beverages, cocktails, and specialty drinks.
2. Online Ordering (Pickup & Delivery): Digital ordering via Toast Tab platform for takeaway and delivery orders from all locations.
3. Catering Services: Plant-based catering for corporate events, private gatherings, and group bookings. Delivered within 6-20 mile radius of each location. Menu includes sushi platters, shareables, salads, mains, and desserts.
4. Private Events: Private dining room buyouts, partial restaurant buyouts, and full venue buyouts for corporate dinners, celebrations, weddings, and receptions. Multiple venue capacity options at each location.
5. Gift Cards: Gift cards sold online for US locations via Toast Tab. Gift cards for Canadian locations must be purchased in-restaurant.
6. Mobile App (PLANTA Passport): Loyalty rewards program delivered through mobile app where users earn points on dining in, takeout, and delivery orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PLANTA operates full-service, 100% plant-based restaurants serving globally inspired vegan cuisine across roughly 10 locations in major U.S. cities and Toronto. In addition to dine-in service, the company sells gift cards, runs an off-premise catering program, hosts private events in its dining rooms, and operates the PLANTA Passport loyalty app. The concept is positioned as chef-driven, design-forward, and accessible to diners across dietary preferences including vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, and curious omnivores.

Product overview

PLANTA Restaurants is a plant-based fine dining restaurant chain operating 5 US locations under two sub-brand concepts: PLANTA Queen (NYC NoMad, Chicago River North, Washington DC Dupont Circle) and PLANTA Cocina (Los Angeles Marina del Rey), plus Bethesda, MD. The core offering is globally-inspired 100% plant-based cuisine featuring signature sushi and rolls, wok and noodle dishes, shareables, salads, mains, and desserts. The portfolio includes a mobile rewards app (PLANTA Passport), catering services for events up to 150 guests, private dining spaces, and a gift card program. All locations offer brunch, happy hour specials, and seasonal promotions like Maki Monday, Plant Power Lunch, and Sunday Sauce. Online ordering is available through Toast Tab integration, and reservations are managed via SevenRooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PLANTA Restaurant Dining Full-service, 100% plant-based dine-in restaurant service offering globally inspired vegan cuisine across PLANTA, PLANTA Queen, and PLANTA Cocina locations in major U.S. cities and Toronto, serving vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, and curious omnivore diners.
• Catering Services Off-premise catering service offering plant-based menu options for group meals, corporate functions, and private occasions, ordered through the PLANTA website.
• Private Events Private event bookings hosted at PLANTA restaurant venues for celebrations, corporate gatherings, and buyout-style group experiences, managed via the Tripleseat platform.
• Gift Cards PLANTA-branded digital and physical gift cards redeemable for dine-in, online ordering, catering, and other PLANTA experiences.
• PLANTA Passport Mobile App Mobile loyalty and ordering app powered by the Thanx platform, enabling PLANTA customers to earn rewards, redeem offers, and place orders across PLANTA locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 locations across US and Canada
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• HipCityVeg: Plant-based fast-casual chain serving burgers, sandwiches, and salads in Philadelphia and DC. Comparable to PLANTA in 100% plant-based positioning though skews more fast-casual and value-oriented.
• Beyond Sushi: Plant-based sushi restaurant with NYC locations featuring innovative vegan maki and Asian-inspired dishes. Comparable to PLANTA's PLANTA Queen concept's plant-based sushi and Asian menu focus.

Direct peers

• Flower Child: Healthy, vegetable-focused restaurant chain with locations across multiple US cities. Direct comparable to PLANTA in serving organic, plant-forward bowls, salads, and globally-inspired dishes in upscale-casual settings.
• Veggie Grill: 100% plant-based restaurant chain offering vegan comfort food across multiple US locations. Direct competitor to PLANTA's plant-based positioning, though Veggie Grill skews more fast-casual while PLANTA is full-service.
• By Chloe: Plant-based restaurant brand known for vegan comfort food and globally inspired menu items. Direct competitor in the upscale plant-based dining category with similar aesthetic and positioning.
• True Food Kitchen: Health-focused, plant-forward full-service restaurant chain founded by Dr. Andrew Weil. Comparable to PLANTA in upscale positioning and emphasis on seasonal, wellness-oriented menus.
• The Butcher's Daughter: Plant-forward cafe and juice bar with multiple locations in NYC, LA, and Westport. Comparable to PLANTA in serving design-conscious urban diners with vegetable-centric menus and cocktails.

Broad incumbents

• CAVA: Mediterranean-inspired fast-casual chain publicly traded with strong unit economics and tech-enabled operations. Comparable to PLANTA in the modern, design-forward restaurant category targeting urban diners.
• Sweetgreen: Large-scale, publicly-traded plant-forward fast-casual chain with hundreds of locations nationwide. Compares to PLANTA on health-conscious positioning but operates at much larger scale and faster-casual price point.

Regional players

• Loving Hut: International vegan restaurant chain with multiple US franchise locations serving pan-Asian vegan cuisine. Comparable to PLANTA's fully plant-based positioning though with more limited menu and casual setting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/planta
• Facebookfacebook.com/PLANTA-100063611557600
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planta-restaurants

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PLANTA Restaurants