Chownow
“Can a commission-free ordering platform become the indispensable digital operating layer for independent restaurants, capturing SaaS, payments, and marketing revenue without the margin-destroying commissions of large aggregators?”
Founded in 2011 as a commission-free alternative to marketplace aggregators like Grubhub, ChowNow built white-label ordering infrastructure for independent restaurants. The company expanded from a Facebook/mobile widget to a full-stack direct ordering platform with subscription SaaS revenue from restaurants plus transactional take on diner orders — both powered via Stripe Connect and Stripe Billing. In recent years it launched the 'Order Better Network' marketplace and 'Pro' product tier, deepening its position as an operating system for independent restaurants rather than a pure marketplace.