Gratafy Launches in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, May 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Gratafy, an award-winning mobile gifting service, today announced that it has launched in San Francisco, adding 600 new gift items to its digital network of merchant partner storefronts. Gratafy users can now select from more than 2,500 menu items from restaurants and bars in four cities to digitally send gifts to their Facebook friends or address book contacts.

In San Francisco, Gratafy has developed relationships with restaurants and bars citywide from the Mission to the Marina, including Dosa, Yank Sing, St. Vincent, Nice Ventures' Terzo, Rose's Café and Rose Pistola, and Michael Chiarello's Coqueta.

"As we expand, we look for cities with tech-savvy consumers and a bustling nightlife and dining culture. As the tech and foodie capital of the US, San Francisco definitely fits the bill," said Brian Erke, co-founder and CEO, Gratafy. "We're excited to partner with these world-class establishments and bring the simplicity and power of Gratafy's mobile gift-giving platform to this dynamic market."

Gratafy has a Sales team on the ground in San Francisco with plans to expand the team locally.

The startup partners with a range of establishments from high-end restaurants to sports bars and provides a wide selection of gift items at every price point from cocktails to entrees. Based on merchant partner feedback, Gratafy also recently added digital gift certificates to its arsenal. Unlike other hospitality gifting platforms, Gratafy integrates directly with the restaurant or bar's point of sale system, enabling a seamless redemption experience for both the customer and the merchant.

"In this city, technology is inevitable, but I don't want it to replace hospitality so it's important to pick the right companies and partners that allow us to do both, that's why we chose to work with Gratafy," said Ryan Cole, Partner at Stones Throw restaurant.

This announcement comes just two months after the company expanded to Chicago. Initially launching in Seattle, Gratafy has now formed relationships with more than 500 restaurant and bar locations across the U.S. and plans to continue its national rollout in the months to come. To date, merchant partners on the system have seen an ROI in excess of 1500% due to the large amount of overspend that occurs at the time of gift redemption.

Gratafy also announced today that it is launching Gratafy Valet - a merchant-facing platform that lets its partners access additional products that complement the core consumer gifting program, the first of which are Campaign Gifting and Gratafy Widgets. Campaign Gifting is a powerful marketing tool that restaurants can use to thank and engage their customers. Gratafy Widgets give consumers an easy way to find and send gifts right from the restaurant's website or Facebook fanpage. Read more about this announcement here.

About Gratafy

Gratafy (www.gratafy.com) is an award-winning mobile gifting service that lets consumers and merchants alike send menu items and digital gift certificates from restaurants and bars as gifts to friends, family and customers for instant gratification. Gratafy has formed partnerships with over 500 restaurant and bar locations in the U.S. Founded in 2012, Gratafy is a privately-held company based in Seattle. The Gratafy app is free and available for download in the App Store or on Google Play.

SOURCE Gratafy