Restaurant loyalty app Blackbird Labs today announced the launch of a new tool aimed at cutting payment transaction fees for restaurants, while allowing customers to settle their check in-app—without needing to track down the server. And in a nod to the crypto technology that makes it work, Blackbird will now let customers pay their check using a token called $FLY, which also functions as loyalty points within the app.
Blackbird, launched in 2022, is the brainchild of Eater and Resy cofounder Ben Leventhal, who started the new company in response to the declining profitability of restaurants. It got its start in New York City but is also available in Los Angeles and Charleston. “I think connectivity between guests and restaurants is eroding,” Leventhal told Fortune on a call.
