ChowNow, whose food-ordering platform makes it easier for local restaurants to accept online orders, has raised $21 million in a series C round of funding from private equity firms 3L Capital and Catalyst Investors.
Catalyst-backed ChowNow is opening its first regional office in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. The LA-based company’s director of recruiting, Candace Taylor, expects roughly 50 jobs to be created in Kansas City over the next year and said hundreds more could follow as the company finds its footing in the midwest.
For QSRs, offering mobile order-ahead can be a double-edged sword. While it’s critical to boosting sales, it also comes with the expense of tackling card-not-present fraud. In the new Mobile Order-Ahead Tracker, Chris Webb – CEO of Catalyst Investors-backed ChowNow – explains how ordering platforms can help by viewing customer interactions across restaurants to identify suspicious behavior, and by handling security measures behind the scenes to tackle fraud and reduce friction.
Catalyst portfolio company ChowNow named Jocelyn Mangan to its Board of Directors. Mangan was previously COO at Snag, and before that SVP Product for OpenTable, where she spent ten years defining the vision, strategy, and development of OpenTable’s products. She has also held senior roles at Ticketmaster.
Catalyst-backed ChowNow, the leading online ordering platform for local restaurants, is now integrated into Instagram, allowing restaurants to accept takeout and delivery orders through the social network. Instagram’s “Start Order” button can be incorporated into restaurant profiles, allowing users to place orders directly through Instagram. An early crop of restaurants tested the feature with unanimously positive results. With its 11,500+ followers, HomeState, a Los Angeles-based Texas taco restaurant and longtime ChowNow partner, was eager to combine the reach of Instagram with the seamless ordering experience of ChowNow.
Chris Webb, CEO of Catalyst-backed ChowNow, speaks with Alan Krueger, Princeton University professor of economics, about building software for small businesses, the competition in the start-up scene, and other labor market elements on Bloomberg TV.
Catalyst-backed ChowNow launched a new publication focused on going behind-the-scenes with restaurants and chefs. Tableside will produce original, in-depth stories for curious eaters, food culture fanatics, and restaurant enthusiasts alike.
ChowNow believes Apple’s new policy affects a much broader universe of companies, not just restaurants but also small nonprofits and other businesses, and has tapped a band of lobbyists to take its message to Capitol Hill.
Catalyst led a $20 million Series B round of funding for ChowNow, a SaaS ordering platform providing restaurants with online ordering tools and branded mobile apps. Existing investors including Steadfast Venture Capital also participated in the round. Catalyst partner Tyler Newton has joined ChowNow’s Board of Directors.