Plein Air Secures PE Backing to Fuel Restaurant & Retail Tech Race

DALLAS & LOS ANGELES – February 11, 2026 – Marketing and technology consultancy Plein Air has secured a strategic investment from Coral Tree Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, in a move poised to accelerate the technology arms race within the restaurant and retail sectors. The partnership will inject significant capital into Plein Air, fueling the expansion of its services and the development of its proprietary technology platform, Big Colony.

Since its founding in 2016, Plein Air has carved out a niche by offering a blend of data consultancy, marketing strategy, and technology solutions tailored specifically for the on-the-ground realities of restaurant and retail brands. The investment from Coral Tree, a firm with deep roots in media and marketing technology, signals strong confidence in Plein Air's specialized model as consumer-facing industries grapple with unprecedented digital transformation.

The New Competitive Arena: Data, Digital, and Dining

The landscape for restaurants and retailers has fundamentally shifted. Today, success is increasingly defined not just by product or price, but by the seamlessness and personalization of the customer experience. This digital imperative has ignited fierce competition, forcing brands to invest heavily in technology that can capture customer data, drive loyalty, and create a cohesive journey across online and physical touchpoints.

Market trends underscore this urgency. Consumers now expect hyper-personalized offers and integrated digital ordering, while loyalty programs have evolved from simple punch cards to sophisticated, AI-powered engagement engines. The U.S. loyalty market is on a trajectory to exceed $44 billion by 2030, highlighting its centrality to modern brand strategy. Companies are in a constant battle to differentiate, leveraging everything from customer data platforms (CDPs) to AI-driven analytics to understand and anticipate consumer behavior. This environment creates immense pressure, particularly for small and mid-sized operators, to keep pace with technology giants like Yum! Brands, which are building proprietary AI platforms to dominate the market.

It is within this high-stakes context that Plein Air operates, positioning itself as a crucial partner for brands navigating this complex terrain. The consultancy aims to provide the strategic guidance and technological tools necessary to compete effectively, turning data into actionable insights and digital touchpoints into meaningful brand interactions.

A Hybrid Approach in a Fragmented Market

Plein Air distinguishes itself in a crowded market of technology vendors and marketing agencies through its hybrid model. The company combines the strategic, high-touch service of a boutique consultancy with the power of its own technology platform, Big Colony. This integrated approach is designed to solve a core problem for many brands: the disconnect between off-the-shelf software solutions and the unique operational and branding needs of their business.

Unlike large, generalist consulting firms, Plein Air brings deep, vertical-specific expertise. Unlike pure-play software vendors, it offers what co-CEO Paul McEnany calls a "white-glove approach," ensuring technology is not just implemented but is also aligned with a brand's core identity and business goals. "As demand for more integrated, data-driven marketing solutions continues to grow, it’s critical that we scale without losing the white-glove approach our clients value," McEnany stated.

The new partnership with Coral Tree is explicitly intended to fortify this model. The goal is not to pivot away from its service-intensive roots but to enhance them with greater technological firepower and broader reach. Jason Abelkop, co-CEO of Plein Air, emphasized this point, stating, "This partnership with Coral Tree allows us to double down on what we do best and provide differentiated service and solutions for our client partners."

Private Equity's Strategic Bet on Niche Expertise

The investment from Coral Tree Partners is more than a financial transaction; it represents a strategic bet on the value of specialized expertise in the burgeoning marketing technology sector. Private equity firms are increasingly looking beyond broad-based software companies to invest in niche service providers that have cultivated deep industry knowledge and sticky client relationships. These specialized firms are often better positioned to solve complex, industry-specific problems and demonstrate a clearer path to profitable growth.

Coral Tree's decision aligns perfectly with its established investment thesis focusing on media, marketing services, and technology. The firm seeks to partner with companies where its own expertise can add substantial value. For Plein Air, this means gaining not just capital, but a partner with a network and strategic insight into scaling a tech-enabled services business.

Will Wynperle, a Partner at Coral Tree Partners, highlighted the unique appeal of Plein Air's model. "From our first conversations, it was clear that Plein Air brings a rare combination of deep industry expertise, strong client relationships, and a genuine passion for building differentiated technology," he said. This endorsement validates the consultancy's hybrid strategy and signals Coral Tree's intent to support both organic growth and potential strategic acquisitions to further solidify Plein Air's market position.

Scaling Innovation with Big Colony

At the heart of Plein Air's future growth is Big Colony, the technology platform it launched in 2023. Described as a customizable digital infrastructure, Big Colony provides the backbone for mobile, web, and kiosk applications, and is already active in over 15,000 client locations. The platform is designed to give brands the sophisticated digital tools they need—from ordering to loyalty—without sacrificing the unique look and feel of their brand.

The investment from Coral Tree is set to be a major catalyst for Big Colony's development. With fresh capital, Plein Air can accelerate innovation, expand the platform's capabilities, and enhance its integration with the myriad of other systems that restaurants and retailers rely on, from point-of-sale to inventory management. This focus on technology development is crucial for competing with well-funded tech platforms like Paytronix and SevenRooms.

By empowering its clients with a more robust and customizable technology stack, Plein Air aims to level the playing field, enabling brands of all sizes to deliver the kind of personalized, data-driven experiences that were once the exclusive domain of the industry's largest players. The partnership will allow the organization to continue its mission of solving real-world challenges for its clients while expanding its impact across the rapidly evolving digital landscape of consumer brands.