inKind Celebrates a Decade of Restaurant Support, Delivering Over $600M to 6,000+ Restaurants

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- inKind, the largest independent restaurant financing platform, and consumer loyalty technology company, known for connecting thousands of top restaurants with millions of diners, is excited to celebrate its 10th birthday with inKind Day. The milestone marks a decade of inKind helping the restaurant industry succeed, highlighted by its funding of over 6,000 independent restaurants nationwide, while also providing its over 4 million app users with more than $175 million in dining rewards and access to a platform of the most sought after hospitality destinations in the U.S.

The year-long celebration of inKind Day will be highlighted by exclusive events, rewards and offers to inKind's rapidly growing user base. Additionally, inKind will look to program events at partner restaurants throughout the next 12 months available to inKind app subscribers only in major U.S. dining markets including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, Miami, and Las Vegas

"Ten years ago my husband Andy and I founded inKind with a simple but powerful belief: restaurants deserve better ways to grow, without giving up what makes them unique," said inKind Co-Founder CEO, and longtime restaurant owner and investor Johann Moonesinghe. "That belief continues to guide everything we do as we celebrate inKind Day and a decade of supporting restaurants across the hospitality industry, while also giving a big thanks to our millions of loyal customers."

To date, inKind has provided over $600 million in funding to a diverse group of top restaurant partners, including acclaimed operators like José Andrés Group, MINA Group and Ethan Stowell Restaurants, independent establishments like Okàn, Kann, and Superiority Burger; as well as 20 Michelin-starred destinations and 50 James Beard nominees. Additionally, their app users have been rewarded with over $175 million in dining rewards to spend at partner restaurants.

Opening and sustaining a restaurant requires dedication, and challenges often aren't driven by a lack of demand or talent from the entrepreneur, but by limited access to growth capital, operational resources, and long-term support. In 2025, according to inKind's 2025 Dining Trends report, diner spending remained stable year-over-year across most dining segments, with casual dining spend increasing 3% and fast-casual spend increasing 2%, signaling steady consumer demand despite ongoing margin pressure for operators.

For restaurant owners, the margin for error is razor-thin, especially during the early years of growth, but well capitalized and operated restaurants can generate excellent returns, especially with inKind funding, which is structured to align restaurant success with customer demand.

inKind was built to solve these real challenges. From day one, the goal has been clear: provide restaurants with a flexible funding alternative and long-term partnership that allows them to grow on their own terms while preserving what makes them special.

inKind has become the largest platform of its kind, providing restaurants with financing that essentially pays for itself. The company's unique business model provides restaurants with funding in exchange for food and beverage credits, rather than equity or debt. These credits are then used by high-spending diners through the inKind app at partner restaurants via inKind's best-in-class 20% back rewards model. During inKind's 2025 gifting campaigns, only 44% of users kept bonus dining credit for themselves, down from 75% two years prior, reflecting a growing shift toward shared dining and gifting experiences.

inKind was founded by Moonesinghe, his late brother Rajan Moonesinghe, his husband Andrew Harris, his best friend and Chief Sustainability Officer Jonathan de Wolff, their product genius Marcus Triest, and CTO Bryan Crow, as a more supportive capital option for restaurants, based on the challenges that Moonesinghe and Harris faced as restaurant owners and investors themselves, after collectively investing in and operating dozens of restaurants. Having invested directly in over 30 restaurants and owning several themselves, including The Guest House in Austin, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale, and Ember Kitchen in Austin, Moonesinghe and Harris built inKind to harness the power of regular restaurant customers to support local hospitality businesses in a mutually beneficial way, turning everyday dining spend into growth capital for restaurants.

For more information about inKind and its mission to support the restaurant industry, visit inkind.com and follow @inkind.app.

About inKind
Founded in 2016, inKind is a leading commerce enablement platform that provides low-cost capital investment opportunities for restaurants and exclusive dining rewards for consumers. With over 4 millions users in the US and partnerships with 6,000 restaurants nationwide, inKind has become the largest consumer marketplace of its kind. The platform has infused over $600 million in capital to successful restaurant groups like MINA Group, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, and José Andrés Group, as well as independent restaurants such as Okàn, Kann, and Superiority Burger. inKind's mission goes beyond profit, focusing on delivering exceptional experiences for both restaurant partners and diners. Through its seamless app experience, inKind redefines shared dining experiences by offering tangible savings, enticing rewards, and seamless transactions. Stay up to date with inKind by visiting inkind.com and following @inkind.app.

SOURCE inKind