More than 300 restaurants across the U.S. have been funded with the help of Kickstarter, according to a map released by the site last week.
Kickstarter has increasingly become a valuable resource for budding restaurateurs. Some even speculate that the crowdfunding site could be the future of restaurant financing, in part because it offers an infusion of cash without the attachment of private investors.
It also offers a way for entrepreneurs to engage closely with their community.
"I really think of them as being the perfect project because they are, obviously, so community-based, largely by physical location, but not always," Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler said to Eater. "They're great ways for communities to get together and to really have a closer relationship with a place that can be a pretty central hub to that neighborhood or town."
Inspired by Kickstarter's map of the restaurants that had been funded using their services, we looked at which of those eateries in New York City offered the best dining experience. To compile our rankings, we considered ratings from Yelp and OpenTable, as well as professional reviews from publications like Zagat, New York Magazine, and the New York Times.
From a Japanese-Jewish eatery to a Michelin-starred restaurant, there are plenty of places worth exploring.
#12 Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a Trappist-inspired gastropub with an extensive offering of affordable craft brews. There's plenty of beer-inspired fare to be had here: mussels in beer, beer-battered fish and chips, as well as classic pub items like bangers and mash.
Their Kickstarter campaign reads, "As young professionals (and cool people) ourselves who have lived in Astoria for over 10 years, we feel there is a void in the Astoria restaurant/bar scene that needs to be filled, especially after 10pm, for people looking for something more intimate than a dive, but less pricey than fine dining."
They raised $11,260 in Kickstarter funding.
#11 Shalom Japan
310 South 4th Street, Williamsburg
The Japanese-Jewish cuisine of Shalom Japan is the brainchild of married owners Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi. The combination may be unconventional, but it works — according to the New Yorker, "At its best, their food is fusion in the truest sense, seamless and utterly convincing."
Matzah ball ramen, pastrami-stuffed chicken, and lox rice bowls are among the unique offerings.
The concept restaurant earned $20,086 from 131 backers on Kickstarter.
#10 Emily
919 Fulton Street, Clinton Hill
Matt and Emily Hyland raised $16,132 on Kickstarter to design and build an authentic wood-burning pizza oven. The pizza oven is the centerpiece of their restaurant, but they serve delicious pastas and small plates, too.
Eater recently named Emily one of the 21 hottest pizza places in the U.S.
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