Toast Targets International Expansion With Latest Promotion

Toast has announced that its SVP of Finance, Jennifer DiRico, has taken on an expanded role as the restaurant-focused payments and management platform General Manager and Head of International.

DiRico is a Toast veteran and has been with the restaurant software company for the past six years in finance and operational roles. With her latest promotion, Toast hopes she can wield her significant experience building and scaling the company in the U.S. to help it grow abroad.

“Toast has an incredible opportunity to provide our platform to restaurants in international markets,” Toast Chairman and CEO Chris Comparato said in the company’s announcement. “Her experience and deep industry knowledge will help elevate our international ambitions, and I’m thrilled that she will be leading this important initiative for Toast.”

Toast’s point of sale and management products are currently used in more than 57,000 restaurant locations across the U.S.

At the end of 2021, Toast announced that it had made initial investments to bring its products to establishments outside the U.S., but conceded that it has limited experience with international customers and selling abroad. This is where DiRico comes in, as she brings previous experience helping restaurants expand their footprints in European markets from her time as an associate at the MK Global Hospitality Group.

In 2021, Toast generated $1.7 billion in revenue, an 107% increase from 2020. The company doesn’t see its growth slowing down anytime soon amid a restaurant software boom spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and expects to bring in between $2.3 billion and $2.4 billion in 2022.

“Toast has a proven playbook in the U.S., helping more than 57,000 restaurant locations navigate these changes and thrive,” DiRico said in a statement. “ I am excited to bring my experience growing Toast in the U.S. as we begin to execute on our vision to serve restaurants on a global scale.”