North Philadelphia native Kevin Hart is teaming with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and others on a $20 million Series B investment in Hungry, a fast-rising catering platform designed for independent chefs.
Hart and Jay-Z are working with NFL stars Todd Gurley and Bobby Wagner to accelerate the growth of Hungry, which debuted in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. in 2016.
The platform works by listing chefs — many of them women and minorities — who are available to cater office events and other special occasions. Hungry provides the logistics and marketing, turning a profit by marking up the chefs' wholesale prices.
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“Great founders, great mission, and they have achieved great success in short order,” Hart told Forbes. “Hungry is leveling the playing field for chefs and giving them economic opportunities that they never had before. I’m a big supporter of what this business stands for.”
Brothers Eman and Shy Pahlavani founded Hungry with a roster of chefs in licensed commercial kitchens. The company has since expanded from Philly and D.C. to Manhattan, Boston, Atlanta, and Austin.
Hungry projects revenues in excess of $50 million in 2020, building on momentum gained late last year after Jay-Z, Gurley and Wagner's Series A investment.
The latest round of funding will help Hungry continue its expansion into new markets and provide new opportunities for chefs to build a financially rewarding career.