Salted

Salted

Holding company for delivery-focused ghost kitchens

Overview

Salted builds and runs a portfolio of health-focused, delivery-centric restaurant brands designed for ghost kitchens and pickup, reducing the need for traditional dine-in locations. It operates centralized, tech-enabled kitchens and uses saltedOS, a full-stack platform that coordinates supply, quality control, and marketing, while monitoring operations with data analytics and in-kitchen cameras. The brands, such as Moonbowls, Califlower Pizza, Ginger Bowls, Lulubowls, Thrive Kitchen, and the $5 Salad Company, are designed to appeal to gluten-free and plant-forward trends and are sold through major delivery apps and direct online ordering. Salted differentiates itself by managing multiple brands under one tech-enabled platform and pursuing national expansion through ghost kitchens, with a goal to scale new restaurant concepts outside traditional brick-and-mortar locations.

About Salted

Simplify's Rating
Why Salted is rated
C+
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Food & Agriculture

Data & Analytics

Consumer Software

Enterprise Software

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Series B

Total Funding

$44M

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Founded

2014

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Salted acquired Xenia in December 2024, proving it can buy concepts, not only build them.
  • A 2026 site update still shows active branding, signaling ongoing market presence and experimentation.
  • Moonbowls storefront momentum supports hybrid expansion beyond delivery-only economics.

What critics are saying

  • Third-party delivery dependence keeps DoorDash and Uber Eats controlling margins and customer access.
  • Ghost kitchens commoditize concepts fast; competitors can copy bowls and salads within months.
  • If unit growth stalls after 2023's $14 million Series B, Salted's platform story breaks.

What makes Salted unique

  • Salted owns six brands, including Moonbowls, Califlower Pizza, and Xenia Mediterranean.
  • Jeff Appelbaum built Salted into a digital-first incubator, not a single-concept restaurant.
  • saltedOS centralizes supply chain, quality control, and marketing across ghost kitchens.

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Funding

Total Funding

$44M

Below

Industry Average

Funded Over

5 Rounds

Notable Investors:
Series B funding is typically for startups that have proven their business model and need more funding to expand rapidly—often by entering new markets or adding more products. Investors are usually venture capital firms that specialize in later-stage investments.
Series B Funding Comparison
Below Average

Industry standards

$35M
$30M
Patreon
$45M
Linktree
$65M
Substack
$100M
ClickUp

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Company Match

Meal Benefits

Paid Sick Leave

Employee Referral Bonus

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

1%
LA Tech Watch
Oct 18th, 2023
The LA TechWatch Startup Daily Funding Report: 10/18/2023

Salted, a platform for developing quick service restaurant brands, has raised $14M in Series B funding from investors that include Creadev, Proof Ventures, and B. Riley Financial.

TechCrunch
Oct 17th, 2023
Salted spices up its QSR brands with $14M, new Mediterranean-style restaurant | TechCrunch

The Los Angeles-based company has created six brands since the company was founded in 2014, including moonbowls and lulubowls.

TechCrunch
Oct 29th, 2021
Creadev seasons Salted with new funding for its QSR brands | TechCrunch

Salted created six brands so far, including moonbowls, Califlower Pizza and lulubowls, and serves food from Chinese takeout to pizza to salads.

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