According to Forbes, restaurant payment platform Sunday just secured a $21 million Series B led by DST Global Partners to accelerate its U.S. expansion. Founded in 2021 by Christine de Wendel alongside Big Mamma Group restaurateurs Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, the company now serves 3,000 restaurants across the U.S., U.K., and France. Sunday processes $4 billion in payments annually for 80 million guests and has tripled revenue in the past twelve months while nearing profitability. The platform lets diners scan QR codes to pay in under ten seconds, addressing what the founders call the “worst part of dining out” – the awkward wait for the check.
The restaurant tech backlash is real
Here’s the thing about most restaurant technology: it’s built for operators, not guests. We’ve all experienced the clunky tablets, complicated apps, and systems that make the dining experience worse. Sunday flips that script completely by starting with the diner’s perspective first. Everything gets tested in Big Mamma’s own restaurants – that’s the $300 million restaurant group expanding to Miami this year – before rolling out globally.
And the economics are undeniable. The global restaurant payments market was worth roughly $27.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $81.2 billion by 2033, according to Market Intelo. Another report from Data Intelo estimates it at $56 billion today. When you’re dealing with an industry that generated over $1.2 trillion in U.S. sales last year, shaving minutes off table turns can lift revenue by up to 15 percent. That’s not just convenience – that’s survival money for restaurants operating on razor-thin margins.
David versus several Goliaths
Now let’s talk about the competitive landscape. Toast went public in 2021 and serves over 120,000 restaurants. SpotOn secured $300 million at a $3.6 billion valuation. Compared to those numbers, Sunday’s $21 million round might seem modest. But here’s their secret weapon: they’re built by restaurateurs, not pure technologists.
That insider knowledge matters. They understand staffing rhythms, service culture, and the real pain points that operators face. While Toast and SpotOn operate mainly as back-of-house systems, Sunday is guest-first. They’re not asking restaurants to replace their POS systems – they integrate directly with them, including Toast, adding a real-time layer that drives incremental ROI without disrupting operations.
Beyond the transaction
Sunday’s vision stretches far beyond just processing payments. They’re building loyalty programs, CRM tools, and analytics to help restaurants understand and re-engage diners. The data they’re collecting is becoming incredibly valuable – 85% of guests leave feedback through their one-click review system, which is basically unheard of in this industry.
Think about it: every transaction becomes an opportunity to build a relationship. A tourist-heavy restaurant might keep menu favorites stable, while a neighborhood spot could rotate offerings based on repeat customer data. The forthcoming loyalty program will let diners earn and redeem points as easily as airline miles. They’re positioning themselves as guest-engagement infrastructure for hospitality, already extending into hotels and entertainment.
Where execution becomes everything
Scaling restaurant technology is notoriously difficult. Operators vary wildly in size, budget, and tech fluency. Payment regulations and tipping norms differ across markets. And in an era of rising labor costs and food inflation, every vendor needs to demonstrate immediate ROI.
But Sunday’s approach – built by operators, for operators – gives them a credibility advantage that pure tech companies struggle to match. Their disciplined path to profitability is also refreshing in a space where many startups burn cash chasing growth at all costs.
The restaurant industry may be centuries old, but its payment rituals are finally ripe for disruption. If the first wave of restaurant tech focused on operations and delivery, the next will reimagine the guest interaction itself. Sunday’s betting they can turn the checkout – long an afterthought – into the next frontier of guest experience. And honestly, after one too many awkward waits for the check, I’m rooting for them.
