Leading international digital hospitality platform adds South Florida to its network.
MIAMI – Velocity Mobile announces its Miami launch and its initial restaurant partners including local premier spots 27 Restaurant & Bar, Alter, Bagatelle, The Broken Shaker, Casa Tua, Coya, The Dutch, Driftwood Room, Drunken Dragon, Lure Fishbar, and Rockwell. Velocity has initially launched Miami with its mobile payments application, and will introduce the fully integrated app featuring exclusive reservations, payments, and a global loyalty platform in the first quarter of 2016.
The Miami launch kicked off during Art Basel with an exclusive cocktail party in the penthouse of the W Hotel South Beach in partnership with Mike Kimel, who will be opening the highly anticipated Komodo with David Grutman and China Grill Management before the end of the year. Velocity also partnered with the Butter Group to promote the 1 OAK Basel pop-up at nightlife impresario Chris Paciello‘s new venue, Rockwell.
“We’ve been looking for technology solutions to enhance our diners’ experiences while not losing the core elements that make Casa Tua special,” noted Miky Grendene, Owner of Casa Tua. “The Velocity team impressed us with their sensibility and commitment to hospitality, they’re a great fit with our brand, and we’re excited to be one of their initial partners in Miami.”
In addition to its Miami venues, the Velocity mobile application enables seamless payments at over 850 global venues, including 74 Michelin star restaurants. The Miami team will initially be led by one of Velocity’s senior executives and former CEO of BlackBook Media, Ari Horowitz, EVP, Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships.
“Many of the affluent, global trendsetters and the restaurant groups on our network are in Miami, and we intend to commit significant resources to serving our constituents here,” added Zia Yusuf, Velocity co-founder and co-CEO.
“As a fast growing, international city, Miami is an important destination on the global hospitality circuit with a rapidly growing roster of premium, top-tier restaurants, and nightlife venues.”
Upon arriving at a restaurant, guests simply check-in on their mobile device and immediately enjoy the house account experience. At the end of the meal, diners can leave without waiting for a check as the bill, including user-set tip, is charged to the credit card on file. The platform also makes splitting the bill instant and hassle-free.
This market expansion follows the recent acquisitions of US-based Cover, Canada-based Tab Payments, and UK-based Uncover. The Velocity network, which spans across New York, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, and Miami features many of the hottest and most highly acclaimed restaurants in those cities including Alain Ducasse’s and Alan Yau’s restaurants, Al’s Place, Carbone, Cosme, Daniel, Gymkhana, Republique, Sketch, The Slanted Door, and smoke.oil.salt.
Velocity partners with the world’s best venues and empowers them to attract, delight and retain high-value global diners through the power of mobile payments and loyalty. The digital hospitality service helps individuals find the right venue, empowers them to view and settle their bill at their convenience from their mobile phone, while also earning rewards – driving loyalty to their favorite spots.
Velocity was co-founded by childhood friends Zia Yusuf, a former Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, and Alex Macdonald, who previously led company turnarounds in private equity. Building on the success of Velocity in the UK, the company secured $16M Series A financing to accelerate international expansion aligned with its clientele, including additional cities in the US, Europe, and Asia.
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