Why We Invested: Gastronomous
At Redstick, we believe investment decisions are never purely analytical. They're backed by conviction, market understanding, and a clear vision of the future we want to help build. Our investment in Gastronomous represents exactly this approach.
The Restaurant Reality
The restaurant industry faces unprecedented challenges. Labor shortages, rising costs, and operational inefficiencies are squeezing already thin margins. These aren't just statistics—they're existential threats to businesses that form the backbone of our communities.
QSR kitchens particularly feel this pressure, caught between consumer expectations for quality, speed, and value while struggling with staffing challenges that show no signs of abating.
The Gastronomous Solution
When we met the Gastronomous team, their approach to kitchen automation immediately stood out. Founded in 2020, they've developed robotic kitchen appliances that address labor and profitability challenges head-on.
What impressed us most was their rare combination of expertise: over 50 years of combined automation and automotive manufacturing experience, paired with 30+ years of executive leadership at multi-billion dollar QSR brands.
As Kevork Sevadjian, their CEO, puts it: "Our mission is to bring industrial-level automation solutions to solve the problems facing the quick serve restaurant industry today in the back-of-house. We've automated factories in the past, and now we are automating commercial kitchens."
Why This Team
In early-stage investing, team quality trumps almost everything else. The Gastronomous founding team brings together AI engineering talent with deep foodservice operational experience—a critical combination that few competitors can match.
They understand not just how to build technology, but how commercial kitchens actually function. This insight allows them to create solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows rather than forcing restaurants to adapt to technology.
Market Timing
The market is primed for automation in commercial kitchens. The pandemic accelerated underlying trends in the restaurant industry, creating both urgency and openness to solutions that might have faced resistance in previous years. Labor is becoming scarce, wages are up, food pricing is up, and margins are thin.
Gastronomous is positioned to expand from Canada into the US market at precisely the right moment—when the need is acute and the industry is actively seeking answers.
Our Partnership
Beyond capital, we're supporting Gastronomous by:
Connecting them with potential technical leadership candidates
Facilitating introductions to our network of food industry operators
Providing strategic guidance as they navigate market expansion
Why We Believe
Ultimately, what won us over was this: Gastronomous isn’t trying to replace the heart of the restaurant. They’re building the muscle behind it.
They understand that food is personal — but running a restaurant shouldn’t feel impossible. With their tech, operators can reinvest in people, service, and experience, rather than chasing the next hire or scrambling to fill a shift.
They’re builders, they’re bold, and they’re solving a real problem in a smart way. That’s exactly who we want to back.
We’re proud to support Gastronomous on their mission — and excited to help bring their vision to every QSR kitchen in North America and beyond.
Let’s automate the right way.
— Shane Larisey & Cam Crowder
Co-Founders of Redstick
