Our Story: A Journey to Empower Restaurants in the Digital Era

It all started with a restaurant we've loved since childhood—a place that served delicious, comforting food and had owners who treated every customer like family. Whether it was a birthday, a special occasion, or simply a weekend treat, this restaurant was our go-to spot. Over the years, it became a cornerstone of our lives, a place filled with laughter, great memories, and mouth-watering meals.

But it wasn't always easy to make the trip. The restaurant was a bit far from home, and sometimes we found ourselves too busy or tired to go in person. On one occasion, our car was in the garage, and the thought of taking a cab felt like too much effort. That's when a friend told us the restaurant was listed on a popular food delivery app, and they were offering huge discounts—big enough to offset what we'd normally spend on cab fare. It seemed like the perfect solution.

We ordered in that night, excited to enjoy our favorite food from the comfort of home. But what should have been a cozy, celebratory meal turned into a disappointment. The food arrived late and cold, and some dishes were wrong altogether. The delivery app promptly refunded the entire amount and blamed the restaurant, leaving us with a bad impression of the place we had loved for over two decades.

For almost a year, we stopped visiting the restaurant entirely. With the convenience of the delivery app and the constant stream of discounts, it became easier to order from a variety of other places—even some restaurants much farther away. We felt more comfortable sticking with the app because they were quick to issue refunds if anything went wrong.

During that time, it didn't occur to us to question why a restaurant we had frequented for over 20 years suddenly started providing such poor service. It wasn't until one of us suggested going back there for a birthday dinner that we gave it another thought. We wanted to enjoy the ambiance and the food that had been such a part of our lives, so we decided to drive there and dine in once again.

When we arrived, we were greeted with the same warmth from the owner that we remembered. But something had changed—the place was quieter, and only about 30-40% of the tables were filled with customers. We ordered, and the food was just as delicious as ever. It got us talking at the table, trying to figure out why we had stopped coming.

After our meal, we went to talk with the owner, curious about what had been going on with the restaurant. That's when he told us the full story.

The Hidden Costs of the Delivery App

The owner explained that a few years ago, the delivery app approached them with an enticing offer—list their restaurant on the platform at just a 5% commission, and in return, the app would handle deliveries and bring more customers through their virtual doors. It seemed like a win-win at the time. For the first few months, everything went smoothly. Sales appeared to increase, but the overall profit remained stagnant due to the new operational costs—delivery fees, commissions, and platform fees. The work had increased, but the income hadn't.

Then, things got worse. The delivery app gradually increased the commission rates. What started at 5% eventually climbed to 22%, and soon, 80% of their orders were coming through the app. Regular customers who once called in their orders were now using the app for convenience. But here's the kicker: the app didn't share customer details with the restaurant. The owner had no way of knowing if the orders were coming from loyal patrons or new customers.

The pressure mounted. The delivery platform demanded faster food preparation times, leading to errors and customer complaints. The owner said something that really struck us: “Not everything is fast food. Proper food takes time to cook and pack, but the pressure they put on us made it feel like we were running a factory line, just churning out meals as fast as possible.”

Even worse, the restaurant only found out about issues when the delivery app deducted money from their revenue after issuing a refund to a customer. They were never informed of the complaints in advance, never given a chance to correct any mistakes. On top of that, the app constantly pushed for discounts, and the restaurant was asked to invest more to appear higher in search results. But as a family-run establishment with limited margins, they couldn't afford to play the game.

“After more than 20 years, we're not even making half of what we used to before we listed on the app,” the owner confided, “and we've lost the joy of running our restaurant. It feels like we've lost control of what made our place special.”

The Lightbulb Moment

This conversation changed everything for us. We realized that the problem wasn't just about one restaurant. It was part of a larger issue affecting family-run businesses and restaurants everywhere. Delivery apps had become gatekeepers, taking control away from the very people who had built their businesses with passion and care.

That's when we knew we needed to do something about it.

Learning from the Experts

We have a close friend who runs a successful online learning business. After struggling with costly development projects—servers, websites, and apps—he eventually figured out the tactics the development industry uses to make businesses pay thousands of dollars for services that often aren't worth half of that.

He explained it to us in simple terms: most development companies are like tailors selling factory-made clothes and passing them off as custom-stitched. The truth is, businesses rarely need something unique that requires coding everything from scratch. Whether you're running an online learning platform or a restaurant, the core code is the same. What changes is the outward appearance—the user interface.

He compared it to the human body: “We all have the same skeleton structure and organs, but on the outside, we look different. Yet no doctor says your liver requires a custom degree from a special university, so I'm going to charge you $30,000 for a consultation.”

Our friend had spent years in the industry and eventually figured out how to build systems from scratch for a fraction of the usual cost. So, we went to him with our idea: How can we help restaurants like our favorite one offer online ordering without being at the mercy of expensive development or delivery platforms?

Together, we developed a solution—a subscription service that would allow restaurants to take control of their online presence without the overwhelming costs or the loss of customer data. We focused on affordability, transparency, and giving restaurants the tools they need to compete in the digital age without sacrificing quality or profitability.

Our Mission: Empowering Restaurants

Our mission is simple: to empower restaurants to run their businesses the way they want to, without being beholden to delivery apps or expensive development companies. We want to give back control to the owners, so they can focus on what they do best—making great food and serving their customers.

With our subscription service, we provide everything they need: custom-branded apps, websites, server infrastructure, and more. But most importantly, we give them back their independence. Whether you're a small family-owned restaurant or an expanding business, we're here to help you succeed in the digital world, without the stress of high commissions or complicated tech costs.

And it all started with our favorite restaurant.