The Simmer Ben Leventhal, Founder & CEO, Blackbird
Mar 10, 2026
Ben Leventhal, founder and CEO of Blackbird and serial entrepreneur who launched Eater and Resy, talks restaurant tech and strategy. He explains Blackbird’s tap-to-check-in loyalty puck and staff perks. Payments, tokenized processing, and POS partnership hurdles come up. They debate reservations competition, DoorDash moves, and where premium restaurants can win.
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Blue Bottle Memories From Eater's Early Days
- Ben liked early Blue Bottle in SF but dislikes their iced coffee cup choice.
- He recalls drinking at Mint Plaza Blue Bottle where Eater San Francisco founders spent time and Jack Dorsey met there.
Standardize Rewards To Ensure Consistent Execution
- Standardize loyalty rules so restaurants can reliably deliver rewards without extra staff training.
- Blackbird shifted from full customization to a structured program to make benefits understandable and repeatable for restaurants and guests.
Restaurant Workers Are A Crucial Customer Segment
- Blackbird treats restaurant workers as a primary constituency alongside guests and owners.
- Industry pros get a separate, richer rewards track that encourages them to use and promote the product in-house.