# Jeffrey Appelbaum

> Jeffrey Appelbaum is the Santa Monica-based founder and CEO of Salted, a restaurant group built around delivery, takeout and the unfashionably difficult work of making food consistent at scale. After starting Salted as an online cooking school in 2014 and testing meal kits, he rebuilt the company around company-owned digital restaurant brands. The result grew from 17 locations in 2021 to more than 35 locations by 2026, supported by proprietary operations software and a workforce that an investor described as nearly 600 cooks across 10 states.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Salted
- **Organizations:** Salted, BeachMint, DealQuad, Buzzpoint
- **Education:** Interdepartmental Communication and English, Northwestern University
- **Known for:** Built Salted through three distinct business models: online cooking education, on-demand meal ingredients and delivery-first restaurant operations., Expanded Salted from 17 locations in 2021 to more than 35 locations by 2026., Raised a reported $16 million Series A in 2021 and $14 million Series B in 2023.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2010** — Co-founded social media marketing company Buzzpoint and served as managing director.
- **2010-2011** — Founded and led group-buying company DealQuad.
- **2011-2013** — Worked at BeachMint as vice president of growth and innovation.
- **2014** — Founded Salted as an online cooking school featuring video instruction from chefs.
- **2016** — Introduced SaltedEats, an on-demand ingredient service paired with cooking videos.
- **2018** — Reoriented Salted around better-for-you, digital-first restaurant brands designed for delivery and takeout.
- **2020** — Pitched Salted on Shark Tank, requesting $500,000 for 5 percent; no deal was made.
- **2021** — Salted raised a $16 million Series A and operated 19 kitchens across seven states later that year.
- **2023** — Salted raised a $14 million Series B; Appelbaum reported 25 locations in nine states, each profitable and averaging more than $1 million in annual orders.
- **2026** — Salted described a network of more than 35 locations; an investor post cited nearly 600 cooks across 10 states.

## Achievements

- Built Salted through three distinct business models: online cooking education, on-demand meal ingredients and delivery-first restaurant operations.
- Expanded Salted from 17 locations in 2021 to more than 35 locations by 2026.
- Raised a reported $16 million Series A in 2021 and $14 million Series B in 2023.
- Developed SaltedOS and related operational systems for quality control, training, order management and customer feedback across multiple brands and kitchens.
- Reported in 2023 that all 25 then-operating locations were profitable and averaging more than $1 million in annual orders per location.
- Moved Salted beyond internally created concepts with the acquisition of Mediterranean brand Xenia in 2023.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Creadev published Appelbaum's account of a company gathering and said Salted had nearly 600 cooks working across 10 states.
- **2026-08** — Appelbaum shared a Salted hiring search that described its brands as live in 35 locations nationwide.
- **2026** — Salted advertised for a real estate development manager, describing 35-plus locations and plans for more freestanding, takeout-optimized sites.
- **2023-11** — Salted announced its acquisition of Mediterranean concept Xenia following tests in six company locations.
- **2023-10** — Salted announced a $14 million Series B led by Creadev with participation from Proof Ventures and B. Riley Financial.

## Links

- Website: https://www.hellosalted.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyappelbaum
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/jeffapps
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffappelbaum/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jeffrey-appelbaum
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-28