The sustainable restaurant chain Jack Bean has raised €1 million in growth funding. With this money, the Rotterdam start-up will expand to Amsterdam and prepare to scale up nationwide.
The financing comes from impact investors DOEN Participaties and the iFund Foundation as well as a number of informal investors, including 170 crowdfunders. “This funding will enable us to open our first location in Amsterdam and prepare the company for further growth to locations all over the Netherlands,” says co-founder Mathijs Huis in ’t Veld. “Our aim is for everybody in the major Dutch cities to be able to get a tasty, sustainable, nutritious meal within 30 minutes of home.”
Locally grown, plant-based food
The food system is responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Consumers can make a significant contribution to combating climate change by eating more plant-based and locally grown food. Jack Bean helps by making sustainable eating easy and appealing. “Doing their part for a greener, healthier planet is much more attractive to consumers if it’s convenient and enjoyable,” Mathijs says. “Jack Bean wants to be a reliable partner for consumers in their journey towards sustainable eating.”
Scaling up nationwide
The company will use the fresh investment first of all to open its third restaurant, this time in Amsterdam. It will also expand its management team, do targeted marketing and strengthen its back-end processes. By the end of 2022, the sustainable start-up is aiming for a series-A funding round, which will enable it to grow to at least 10 locations in five cities by the end of 2024.
About Jack Bean
Jack Bean was founded in Rotterdam in 2018 by Mathijs, a social entrepreneur, and the sustainable chef and restaurateur Pepijn Schmeink. It serves locally grown, 100% plant-based food at busy spots in the city and is a pioneer in the transition to healthier, more sustainable eating. Jack Bean is opting for a chain model, with sustainability extending beyond plant-based proteins: the company makes a point of buying ingredients from regenerative farmers and strives to drastically reduce disposable packaging.
