Blackbird Labs Inc

Blackbird Labs Inc operates a loyalty and payments platform for restaurants. The company's stated purpose is to give restaurants, particularly independent operators, direct connectivity to their own customers - identifying, retaining and rewarding their most valuable regular guests. The pitch rests on a market in which, by the industry statistics the company cites, 60% of restaurants fail within their first year, 80% do not survive past five years, 38% reported being unprofitable in 2023, and operating margins have fallen from 20% to 4% over two decades. Blackbird positions its model as a way for restaurants to compete with delivery apps and reservation platforms by owning the guest relationship, with the objective of raising revenue per customer while lowering operating costs.

The product suite comprises three components. The Blackbird loyalty programming platform is fully customisable and allows restaurants to issue their own memberships, track guest behaviour across visits and reward loyalty; it includes point-of-sale integration, automated payments and personalised guest communication. A consumer-facing app connects diners directly with restaurants. The third element is $FLY, a blockchain-based token used to reward guest loyalty and redeemable across the entire Blackbird restaurant network - a form of tokenisation that underpins a network effect rather than a single venue's scheme.

Technical work therefore spans blockchain technology, web3 infrastructure, loyalty and payments systems, point-of-sale integration, consumer mobile applications and tokenisation, applied to the hospitality, food and beverage and dining verticals. The company describes its culture as mission-driven, focused on lasting relationships between guests and restaurants. Founding year, team size and funding details are not disclosed.