Dive Brief:
- Pasha Mehran is no longer the chief strategy officer of virtual restaurant platform C3, a C3 spokesperson said in an email to Restaurant Dive. Mehran didn’t respond to a request for comment before press time, but his LinkedIn page still lists him as holding the role.
- Mehran was tapped for the position just seven months ago. Prior to working for C3, he served as Uber Eats’ head of ghost kitchens.
- C3 didn’t disclose when Mehran exited the company, or give details about the nature of his departure. He was tasked with helping the company scale through “opportunistic acquisitions, marquee partnerships, and strategic joint ventures,” he said in a statement in January.
Dive Insight:
News of Mehran’s exit comes as several restaurant technology companies reevaluate their strategies in the face of market challenges and investor pressure.
“Pasha is no longer with the company. As C3 continues to grow and scale, the company is consistently evaluating its needs. At this time, we don't have any further details to share about a new Chief Strategy Officer. However, C3 is always looking to hire and add exceptional talent to its team,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.
It’s unclear if this departure signals that C3 is pivoting away from the initiatives that fell under Mehran’s purview, such as partnerships with celebrity chef-driven restaurants, ghost kitchens and digital creators. C3 planned to target these entities in order to garner attention from Gen Z and millennial consumers. Mehran also planned to expand C3’s network into suburban markets and optimize its supply chain.
Earlier this week, C3 landed an undisclosed amount of capital from Abu Dhabi Capital Group, Arden Digital Ventures and Clearlake Capital Group that will be used to expand its virtual restaurants and brick-and-mortar locations in U.S. and United Arab Emirates markets. Domestically, C3 is particularly focused on growing in hotels and sports stadiums in addition to more cities and suburbs, according to a company statement.
