Lunchbox.io is a digital ordering and marketing platform for restaurants with an eye towards becoming the one-stop-shop for restaurants building out their digital storefront. The company has been regarded as one of the disruptors of the food tech industry, helping restaurants avoid the sky-high commissions of the big delivery apps like UberEats and GrubHub, with killer branding (go check it out!).
Founded in 2019 in NYC, the company raised a $50m Series B round in February of this year and continues to hire for many open roles across teams. Lunchbox’s CEO and cofounder, Nabeel Alamgir, has said that:
“Diversity is a major focus for our company and teams. I’m a first generation American and feel passionate about supporting other people of color. I’m proud to say that 42% of staff identify as POC and 50% of our leadership team is female.” — Nabeel Alamgir, CEO and cofounder of Lunchbox
Quick Facts:
- Immigrant and PoC led!
- Leading a mission-driven company
- Emphasizing mentorship
- Great reviews
- Hiring for remote roles!
Leading a mission-driven company
We love the story of Lunchbox’s CEO and cofounder, which really informs how he thinks about his company and mission. Alamgir emigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh as a teen and his first job was bussing tables at a local burger spot called Bareburger. After a decade, he had worked his way up to being the company’s CMO and, with a wealth of experience and insider understanding of the restaurant industry, he was inspired to start Lunchbox in 2019.
Alamgir describes this understanding as the main thing that sets Lunchbox apart: “we ourselves were restaurateurs, we know our client’s pain points because we’ve lived them. This experience allows us to have an end-to-end understanding of the industry and a keen awareness of the value we can add to the mix.” And part of that value has been making the food tech sector more inclusive by providing more equitable tools for restaurants across the country. For example, Lunchbox is launching a commission-free online ordering system for mom-and-pop businesses.
Alamgir says that, “We think everyone deserves a chance to have a fight and feed everyone in their neighborhood. We want to enable that.” The ethos of inclusivity and empowerment is powerful and certainly informs the company’s mission and culture.
Emphasizing career growth and mentorship
One of the ways that Lunchbox demonstrates a commitment to equitable talent management is by prioritizing the growth of its team members. Providing clear opportunities for career development fosters employee retention and advancement, particularly for underrepresented talent who feel disproportionately more isolated and uncertain at work.
Lunchbox has a strong internal structure for inclusion and mentorship: with a variety of employee clubs or resource groups and quarterly one-on-ones in each department between leadership and each staff member. Additionally, Lunchbox offers a generous education stipend that can be used towards almost any opportunity that furthers professional development.
Raving employee reviews
Lunchbox has won a variety of awards for culture and diversity from Comparably, a website dedicated to workplace transparency. 2884 reviews and ratings from Lunchbox employees shows that the structures for professional development are working! The company score 1st place for career growth compared to competitors.
Finally, Lunchbox won Best Company for Diversity in 2021 based on employee reviews— a testament to the leadership and organization’s DEI efforts. Latinx team members in particular rated the company highest for retention and for happiness (based on various topics such as positivity in the workplace, opportunities for professional growth, and satisfaction towards compensation and benefits).
Therefore was extremely excited to introduce our Community members to Lunchbox, and we can’t wait to see what DEI initiatives the company puts in place next!
