Alfalfa, the fast-casual balanced food joint known for its unique pairing of locally-sourced salads and gluten-free doughnuts, announced today the closing of a $2 million seed funding round. This financing will support Alfalfa’s mission to expand its brick-mortar footprint across both the Southern California and the NY Tri-State area, with new locations set to break ground in Jersey City and Los Angeles’ iconic Larchmont area come 2023. It will also aid in enhancing Alfalfa’s in-house, AI-enabled food preparation tools to improve kitchen efficiency, allowing team members to prioritize delighting customers at scale.
Alfalfa raised its $2M seed round from 37 investors, led by Blue Falcon Capital with additional participation from Jake Kassan (Founder of MVMT Watches), Sean Johnson (USMNT Goalkeeper), and executives from Bain & Co., Algorand Crypto, Jefferies, Hightower, and Piper Sandler. Other participants included successful executives and entrepreneurs who are loyal customers that support the company and its vision.
“Alfalfa was created to inspire a healthier way of life through real food and joyful experiences,” says Andrew Arrospide, Chief Brand Officer of Alfalfa. “With a passion for encouraging a balanced lifestyle, this new round of funding has further strengthened our ability to make high quality, balanced food options both accessible and approachable for those we serve in our bi-coastal communities.”
Fresh on the heels of a recently secured trademark, this investment further positions the company as a force to be reckoned with in the healthy fast-casual dining space. Alfalfa plans to rapidly expand its retail footprint while continuing to disrupt the nature of the restaurant industry with forward-thinking kitchen technology, jobs designed to reduce turnover, and thoughtfully curated food pairings that compliment the brand’s holistic approach to prioritizing physical and mental health.
“The salad category has tremendous growth ahead. As founders, we want to elevate the salad conversation beyond physical health to include mental health,” says Dan Londono, Co-CEO of Alfalfa. “We believe in the health benefits that come from high-quality and nourishing ingredients, but also appreciate the spark of joy that the occasional indulgence brings.”