Key Takeaways
- MOTO Pizza secured $1.85 million in funding to facilitate expansion into California and new locations in Washington state.
- The first California location will open in Indian Wells, set to cater to major events starting in March 2024.
- The restaurant is testing innovative technology, including a salad-bowl robot, and plans drone deliveries by 2024.
Growth Plans for MOTO Pizza
Lee Kindell, the founder of MOTO Pizza, transitioned from running a travel hostel in Seattle to opening a flourishing restaurant following the pandemic. Recently, MOTO Pizza raised $1.85 million in funding, which Kindell classifies as strategic, non-venture capital. This investment is aimed at fueling the company’s growth in the upcoming year.
The restaurant plans to expand beyond Washington State, with its first California location set to open in Indian Wells. Situated within the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, this venue will serve pizza at prominent events, including the Indian Wells Tennis Open in March 2024. Additionally, MOTO is looking to establish more locations in Washington, targeting Bellingham in the north and Bellevue on the east side.
In conjunction with its geographical expansion, MOTO Pizza is also investing in technology. The company is trialing a salad-bowl robot from Vancouver’s Cibotica, marking it as the robot’s first U.S. partner. Kindell expressed enthusiasm about integrating this technology into MOTO’s operations.
Further enhancing its service offerings, MOTO plans to implement drone deliveries by the end of 2024, partnering with Zipline. This follows Zipline’s recent achievement in launching its first deliveries beyond visual line of sight (BLVS). MOTO becomes Zipline’s second pizza collaborator in Washington, joining Pagliacci, which announced its cooperation with Zipline in May.
Though Kindell received interest from several venture capitalists looking to invest, he felt the timing was too early for significant VC engagement. Instead, he opted for a modest funding approach, aiming to leverage current demand while refining MOTO’s operational model.
“We felt like it was too early for us to raise through VC,” Kindell stated. He is confident that by next year, MOTO will have developed its business model sufficiently enough to attract more substantial investment.
In conclusion, Kindell’s vision extends beyond immediate growth; he aims for a fully autonomous pizza operation in the future. “My end game is a successful autonomous pizza operation, and I can’t wait for it!” he concluded, highlighting the ambitious plans for MOTO Pizza as it embarks on this new chapter.
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