Online ordering provider ChowNow is acquiring Cuboh, a company that allows restaurants to streamline incoming orders from third-party delivery apps.
ChowNow said the deal will make its offering for independent restaurants more comprehensive and help them clean up jumbled tech stacks. It will also increase the number of POS systems that can integrate with ChowNow's tech to 14, from two.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
As part of the combination, ChowNow is laying off a reported 30 employees as it absorbs the Cuboh team. ChowNow declined to confirm the layoff tally to Restaurant Business but said its head count stands at 300 following the acquisition and restructuring. The cuts follow two rounds of layoffs at Los Angeles-based ChowNow in 2022.
Founded in 2012, ChowNow works with more than 20,000 local restaurants, offering an online ordering system as well as a marketplace app similar to DoorDash and Uber Eats. But with no commissions and more data-sharing, it aims to be a more restaurant-friendly alternative to the big delivery apps.
Canada-based Cuboh was founded in 2018 and is designed to free independent restaurants from “tablet hell”—the term for using multiple tablets to field orders from delivery providers that are not integrated into the POS. Cuboh routes the incoming orders directly into a restaurant’s central system.
“Operators are continuing to expand their off-premise business to meet customer demand, however it’s complex for their teams to manage,” said ChowNow CEO Chris Webb in a statement. “We’re looking forward to offering our partners a complete digital platform that seamlessly integrates into their POS system, allowing restaurant teams to focus their energy on their craft.”
The acquisition comes as tech suppliers look to offer restaurants more products and features in one box with the goal of making tech stacks more efficient and easier to manage.
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