ChowBus

Chowbus is a technology company that initially specialized in online food ordering, payment, and delivery, with a focus on authentic Asian cuisine. Founded in 2016 by Linxin Wen and Suyu Zhang in Chicago, Illinois, the company's original mission was to connect consumers with genuine Asian dishes often underrepresented on mainstream delivery platforms. Linxin Wen, an international student at the time, identified the difficulty in finding authentic Asian restaurants on existing delivery services and the high costs associated with them, which inspired the creation of Chowbus as a dedicated platform to support these local, often family-owned, 'mom-and-pop' restaurants. The platform distinguished itself with a dish-centric ordering experience, allowing users to explore and order specific dishes, and even bundle items from multiple restaurants into a single delivery. This approach aimed to provide a curated selection of high-quality, authentic meals rather than an exhaustive list of all available restaurants.

Over time, Chowbus expanded its operations to over 20 cities across North America, Canada, and Australia, featuring menus in multiple languages, including Mandarin and Cantonese, and offering a wide array of Asian cuisines such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Indian. Recognizing the broader needs of the restaurants it served, Chowbus evolved its business model. By 2022, the company ventured into the Software as a Service (SaaS) market, introducing restaurant management software and a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system. This strategic shift was aimed at providing comprehensive technological and marketing support to restaurant owners, particularly those new to the country. In January 2024, Chowbus sold its food delivery arm to Fantuan Delivery, and has since intensified its focus on developing and enhancing its SaaS and POS solutions for the restaurant industry. The company's mission is now centered on building a comprehensive tech ecosystem to empower restaurants to grow, serve with heart, and uplift their communities.