INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Last valued at $5 billion, restaurant management platform Toast has joined the sweep of startups laying off employees due to the economic
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Toast reduced the size of its staff by 50% through layoffs and furloughs, according to a blog post from Toast CEO, Chris Comparato
It also reduced executive pay across the board, froze hiring, halted bonuses and pulled back offers.
The company flagship product helps
restaurants process payments and handle orders through a mix of hardware and software
Think handheld ordering pads, self-service kiosks and display systems for kitchens
It also connects businesses to food delivery services like Grubhub.
Toast sits on the bridge between two industries in the spotlight, for
better or worse, right now: restaurants and fintech
But restaurants have been hit hard as eateries were forced to close down due to state mandates, or to simply promote social distancing
As a result, fintech companies that help restaurants work better and depend on foot traffic are seeing less transaction volume.
Comparato,
in the blog post, cited how restaurant revenue broadly took a huge hit in March, which naturally trickled down to Toast operations.
&With
limited visibility into how quickly the industry may recover, and facing slower than anticipated growth, we now find ourselves in the
unenviable position of reducing our headcount,& he wrote
He noted that before the pandemic hit, Toast revenue grew 109% in 2019
In an interview with Crunchbase News in February, chief financial officer Tim Barash said that the company goal in the next few years is to
go public.
The Toast employees laid off were offered a &severance package, benefits coverage, mental health support, and an extended window
during which they can purchase vested stock options,& the blog post detailed
Toast is also developing a program to help those laid off or furloughed look for new roles, a move that mimics other efforts we&ve seen
across the startup world.
Investors in Toast include TCV, Tiger Global Management, Bessemer Venture Partners and T
