New Website Tracks Private Equity Ownership in NYC Dining

A new interactive tool allows diners to see if their favorite New York City eateries are owned by private equity firms.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Dining Out

Gouache-painted illustration of a single bistro chair and table on a sidewalk, evoking transparency in the New York City dining scene. — A new interactive website, isitownedbyprivateequity.com, tracks ownership data for 5,000 restaurants and cafes across New York City to improve diner transparency. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would knowing a restaurant is owned by private equity influence your decision to eat there?

Davie Liebowitz has launched isitownedbyprivateequity.com, an interactive map tracking ownership data for 5,000 restaurants, bars, and cafes across New York City. The site aims to provide transparency amid online discourse regarding the impact of private equity backing on dining quality and wait times.

Why it matters

The project responds to growing public debate over how private equity ownership influences restaurant quality and service efficiency. By aggregating data from investor portfolios and corporate records, the site offers diners a clearer view of the entities behind their local establishments.

The website tracks 5,000 New York City food establishments, finding that 28% are backed by private equity firms. Specifically, Roark Capital maintains ownership of 842 locations within the city.

The players

Davie Liebowitz

The creator of the website who designed the tool to increase transparency regarding private equity ownership.

Roark Capital

An investment firm that currently owns 842 of the restaurants tracked by the website.

The details

Built in one day using Grok Bot and Cursor, the site pulls information from Wikipedia, parent-company pages, and investor portfolios. The creator plans to allow users to submit ownership data and expand the tool to cover additional industries like healthcare, dentistry, and real estate.

2017: JAB Holding Company acquired Panera Bread.
2020: Roark Capital acquired Dunkin' Donuts.
2024: Roark Capital acquired Subway.
October 2026: The website launched and was shared on social media.

Culture Shift

This project reflects a broader societal shift toward increased transparency regarding how corporate investment influences daily consumer habits. It aligns with historical patterns observed in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, where ownership changes often correlate with measurable shifts in public perception of service quality.

Diners can now check if their local haunts are managed by major investment firms before deciding where to eat. As the platform grows, users will gain the ability to submit their own data to help improve the map's accuracy and coverage.

The takeaway

Transparency tools empower consumers to make more informed decisions about which businesses they choose to support. By tracking ownership trends, residents can better understand the corporate forces shaping their local neighborhood landscape.