Key Takeaways
- • A newly launched website, isitownedbyprivateequity.com, maps New York City bars, restaurants and cafes by ownership structure, indicating whether each is owned or backed by private equity or venture capital, publicly traded, or privately owned.
- • As of the launch reporting, the site tracked just over 5,000 NYC eateries, with 1,320 added in the first day, and 28% of tracked establishments were owned or backed by private equity.
- • Roark Capital accounts for 842 of the private-equity-linked locations, nearly all of them Dunkin' Donuts and Subway franchises, which Roark acquired in 2020 and 2024 respectively.
- • The site was built by Davie Liebowitz ("DeFi Dave") in a single day using AI coding tools, and his launch post had garnered more than 178,000 views on X.
- • The tool addresses consumer uncertainty about restaurant ownership in a market of roughly 31,000 food establishments, amid public criticism of private equity's effect on quality and independent businesses.
Summary
A new website, isitownedbyprivateequity.com, lets users view an interactive map of New York City and check whether any bar, restaurant or cafe is owned or backed by private equity or venture capital, is publicly traded, or is privately owned, according to Fast Company. The site responds to consumer concern about private equity ownership of food businesses, which critics associate with declining quality, cost cutting and the displacement of independent operators. With roughly 31,000 food establishments in New York City, the publisher notes that ownership is often difficult for consumers to determine from branding or store footprint alone.
The site was created by Davie Liebowitz, known online as DeFi Dave. Liebowitz told Fast Company that he was inspired by observing long lines at restaurants while walking Manhattan on weekends and reading online commentary blaming private equity for those lines and declining quality. He built the site with Grok Bot and Cursor in a single day, which he described as "psychedelic" in a follow-up post, and then promoted it on social media. His X announcement post has garnered more than 178,000 views.
At the time of reporting, the site covered just over 5,000 NYC eateries and was adding locations quickly, with 1,320 added in the day following launch. Of the tracked establishments, 28% were owned or backed by private equity. Roark Capital alone accounts for 842 of these, nearly all Dunkin' Donuts and Subway locations; Roark acquired Dunkin' in 2020 and Subway in 2024. The figures reflect a fast-growing, user-driven dataset at launch and may change as coverage expands.
The site was created by Davie Liebowitz, known online as DeFi Dave. Liebowitz told Fast Company that he was inspired by observing long lines at restaurants while walking Manhattan on weekends and reading online commentary blaming private equity for those lines and declining quality. He built the site with Grok Bot and Cursor in a single day, which he described as "psychedelic" in a follow-up post, and then promoted it on social media. His X announcement post has garnered more than 178,000 views.
At the time of reporting, the site covered just over 5,000 NYC eateries and was adding locations quickly, with 1,320 added in the day following launch. Of the tracked establishments, 28% were owned or backed by private equity. Roark Capital alone accounts for 842 of these, nearly all Dunkin' Donuts and Subway locations; Roark acquired Dunkin' in 2020 and Subway in 2024. The figures reflect a fast-growing, user-driven dataset at launch and may change as coverage expands.
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