Can a small college startup take on billion-dollar giants? EatStreet proved it could. This American online food ordering platform launched with a clear mission: empower small-town and college-town restaurants with modern ordering technology.
While the big players focused on metro markets, EatStreet carved out its space as a hometown hero—digitizing Main Street eateries and creating a new path for local restaurant tech success.
"We just wanted to offer better service for both restaurants and diners. We had setbacks, of course—but we worked through them.”
Matt Howard, EatStreet co-founder and CEO.
EatStreet started in 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin, born from a frustration with being charged an extra $0.75 on a takeout order.
Three University of Wisconsin students—Matt Howard, Alex Wyler, and Eric Martell—thought, “There has to be a better way.” That spark became BadgerBites, which later rebranded as EatStreet and spread across the Midwest.
Their pitch was simple: more orders, less risk. Restaurants only paid a commission when they actually received an order. As Howard said, “We get you incremental orders you wouldn't have had otherwise... and you only pay if it works.” That no-risk value proposition made EatStreet an attractive partner for thousands of small restaurants.
From the beginning, EatStreet played a different game. Instead of targeting New York or LA, it focused on Tier 2 and 3 cities, mainly college towns and underserved regions. It expanded city by city, often with field reps knocking on doors and onboarding restaurants manually. By offering personalized onboarding and 24/7 support, they won loyalty from business owners who had never trusted tech platforms before.
EatStreet’s growth was nothing short of explosive:
15,000+ restaurants across 250+ cities at its peak
Over $40M in funding, including a $2.45M Series A, $8.4M Series B, and $26M Series C
1.7M+ active users by 2017
Yelp partnership enabling in-app ordering
Acquisition of Zoomer in 2017 to launch its own delivery fleet in 25+ cities
Forbes 30 Under 30 recognition for the founding team
EatStreet became one of the largest independent food ordering platforms in the U.S., building trust in communities where national players had little presence.
EatStreet eventually faced the realities of operating a logistics-heavy business:
The Legacy: EatStreet’s Story Isn’t Over
EatStreet’s journey leaves a powerful message: with the right mission and tech, you can bring digital transformation to any community. Their model proved that restaurant empowerment doesn’t need to start in Silicon Valley—it can begin in your own backyard.
So now the big question:
Who’s going to be the next local hero?
That’s where Ordering.co comes in.
Ordering.co: The Platform Built for Your EatStreet Moment
If EatStreet laid the groundwork, Ordering.co gives you the blueprint. Whether you’re building a hyperlocal food delivery marketplace, a regional franchise app, or a Main Street ordering platform—Ordering.co lets you launch your own technology stack under your brand, with full control.