Celebrity chef and global restaurateur Mario Carbone, best known for his high-profile restaurant group Major Food Group (MFG), is stepping into the tech world with a bold new investment. Carbone has joined a group of strategic backers in Magic, an AI-driven customer loyalty startup that has just raised $10 million in seed funding.
The seed round was led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from prominent venture investors and restaurant industry leaders. Carbone’s involvement marks a growing trend: the convergence of hospitality and data-driven technology aimed at reshaping the way brands build customer relationships in the digital economy.
What is Magic?
Magic is a next-generation loyalty platform designed to help businesses increase customer retention and repeat engagement through personalized AI-powered incentives. Unlike traditional rewards systems relying on generic punch cards and promo codes, Magic uses machine learning to analyze customer behavior and deliver dynamic, individualized rewards in real time.
Key Features of Magic:
- AI-driven loyalty rewards tailored to each customer
- Predictive analytics to identify high-value customers
- Seamless integration with POS systems and mobile apps
- Automated campaigns based on purchase patterns
- Real-time marketing personalization across platforms
Co-founder and CEO Chester Ng says Magic was built to help brands move beyond “spray-and-pray” marketing.
“Customers today want personalized experiences—not generic discounts. Magic empowers brands to build long-term loyalty by making every interaction feel personal,” Ng explained.
Mario Carbone: From Restaurants to Tech
Carbone’s investment reflects his belief that the future of hospitality lies in technology-enabled customer experiences. His restaurants—including Carbone, Sadelle’s, Dirty French, and The Grill—are known for high-touch service, exclusivity, and brand storytelling. Carbone sees Magic as a scalable extension of those values.
“Hospitality is personal. Whether it’s a bowl of rigatoni or a reservation request, people want to feel seen and remembered,” Carbone said. “Magic brings that philosophy to digital spaces—helping brands deliver emotional connection at scale.”
Carbone is expected to serve as a key strategic advisor to Magic as it expands into restaurants, hospitality, fashion, fitness, and lifestyle brands.
Why Loyalty Tech Is Exploding
Customer loyalty has become one of the fastest-growing segments in marketing technology. With acquisition costs rising and privacy regulations limiting data collection, companies are shifting budgets toward retaining existing customers rather than chasing new ones.
Global loyalty program spending is projected to exceed $28 billion by 2026, with AI-powered platforms leading the growth. Brands are rethinking loyalty—not just as points and rewards, but as ongoing relationships built through personalization and behavioral insights.
Magic enters the market at a time when:
- Traditional loyalty programs are losing consumer interest
- Brands are struggling to differentiate in crowded markets
- AI offers scalable personalization
- First-party data is now a strategic weapon
A-League of Investors
In addition to Bain Capital Ventures and Mario Carbone, Magic’s seed round includes backers from the worlds of fintech, commerce, and hospitality. The company plans to use the new funding to expand its engineering team, accelerate AI development, and grow partnerships across major industries.
Magic is already working with early enterprise clients and says it has a strong pipeline of retail and hospitality brands seeking to migrate from outdated reward systems.
The Hospitality–AI Revolution
Carbone’s involvement signals a deeper shift in hospitality. Restaurants that once resisted digital tools are now aggressively adopting AI ordering systems, personalized promotions, waitlist algorithms, inventory automation, and CRM analytics to survive—and thrive—in a highly competitive market.
Analysts say Magic could become the Shopify of loyalty, equipping businesses with tools that previously only massive corporations could build.
“Magic reminds me of what Square did for payments a decade ago,” noted one investor from the funding round. “It democratizes sophisticated loyalty tech for everyday businesses.”
Looking Ahead
Magic plans to enter global markets and launch new features that deepen emotional brand loyalty through predictive engagement—anticipating what a customer wants before they ask. The platform also hints at future Web3-compatible loyalty tools, digital collectibles, and memberships tied to real-world experiences.
Carbone, whose restaurants often have months-long waitlists, believes Magic could also transform reservation systems and VIP guest experiences.
“If you know your customer, you win. That’s true for chefs—and now, it’s true in tech,” he said.
Conclusion
Mario Carbone’s investment in Magic is more than a celebrity endorsement—it’s a signal that the future of brand loyalty is personalized, data-driven, and powered by artificial intelligence. As industries race to retain customers in a digital-first economy, Magic is positioning itself to become a major force in loyalty innovation.
With chef-driven hospitality philosophy and Silicon Valley tech intensity, Magic is betting big that the next revolution in customer loyalty won’t come from discounts—it will come from connection.
