First Table raises $10M, plans AU sales push in restaurant tech
First Table, the New Zealand restaurant booking platform, closed a $10 million round led by Altered Capital this week. The company sells off-peak table inventory to restaurants via 50% discounts for early diners, operating across 65 cities in ANZ, UK and Ireland.
The capital is earmarked for Australian expansion. CEO Alex Cappy said the business expects to double its AU footprint over the next 12 months, growing from 1,500 restaurants and 1M+ users across 22 cities. Primary targets: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth.
What this means for sales teams
Doubling venue count in 12 months means hiring. First Table runs a B2B2C model: they sell demand generation and empty-table monetisation to restaurants, consumers pay a booking fee for discounted meals. That is classic AE and SDR territory, likely hunting and farming restaurant groups and independent venues.
Public detail on current sales headcount is thin. Founders Mark Gregory and Richard Small are the most visible executives in older coverage, with Small listed as Director, Sales in early material. Current CRO or VP Sales details were not surfaced in available sources.
Comp data for restaurant tech sales roles is scarce in ANZ. Broader tech sales benchmarks on Reddit suggest mid-market SaaS AE OTE in Sydney and Melbourne ranges $120K-$160K base, $180K-$240K OTE, but restaurant tech may skew lower given venue economics and deal size.
Market context
First Table faces competition from EatClub, the Melbourne-based restaurant deals app backed by Marco Pierre White. EatClub raised $27M Series B in February 2026 at a reported $200M valuation. They are also hiring aggressively for AU expansion. OpenTable remains the incumbent reservation platform benchmark, and Now Book It operates 11,000+ venues across ANZ.
Restaurant tech sales hiring is active across ANZ, with remote and hybrid roles appearing for booking platforms, POS systems and demand-gen tools. The sector took a hit during COVID but has rebounded as venues look to fill off-peak capacity amid cost-of-living pressures. Australians are dining out 12% less than pre-2020 but spending 8-15% more per visit, according to industry analysis cited by First Table.
For sales professionals tracking restaurant tech roles, First Table's expansion signals near-term hiring. Check their careers page and watch for SDR and AE postings in Q3-Q4 2026.