What if the secret to building a delivery giant is starting small? Waitr’s story proves that sometimes the biggest opportunities lie in the markets everyone else overlooks. Founded in Louisiana and eventually rebranded as ASAP, Waitr grew from a local idea into a Nasdaq-listed company by bringing food delivery to America’s small towns.
This journey – from humble origins to IPO, major acquisitions, and bold diversification – offers powerful lessons for marketplace founders and entrepreneurs.
In 2013, Chris Meaux, a native of tiny Estherwood, Louisiana, sketched an idea in his LSU notebook: a food delivery app for places “the big guys won’t touch” bizneworleans.com.
That idea came to life in 2015 as Waitr, launched out of Lake Charles with support from McNeese State University en.wikipedia.org. Meaux’s mission was clear – bring online ordering and delivery to underserved small cities and towns that giants like Uber Eats and DoorDash ignored. Why be a small fish in a big pond when you can be the big fish in a small pond?
"Don't compete where you can't win. Compete where others aren't even playing."
Armed with this focus, Waitr took a high-touch, high-tech approach to kickstart its marketplace. The team went door-to-door signing up local restaurants, often personally onboarding each one – providing tablets, photographing menu items, and training staff – to ensure even “mom & pop” eateries could easily join the platform.
This hands-on strategy built strong relationships and loyalty in each town. At the same time, Waitr’s app gave customers a seamless experience they’d never had locally: browse visual menus, order with a few taps, and get your meal delivered to your door. In communities new to delivery, Waitr wasn’t just an app – it felt like a friendly neighborhood service.
The results were astonishing. Within just three years of launch, Waitr expanded to 150 cities across 6 states, fulfilling over 4 million orders in 2017 alone bizneworleans.com.
By targeting smaller markets that “the big guys won’t touch,” Meaux found fast success bizneworleans.com. Small-town word-of-mouth and Facebook groups buzzed about this new convenience. In those overlooked markets, Waitr became a hometown hero.
"Playing small in a big market gets you nowhere; playing big in a small market made Waitr a giant."
Success in the provinces set the stage for major growth milestones. By 2018, Waitr’s domination of underserved cities made it an attractive candidate for Wall Street.
In November 2018, Waitr went public on the Nasdaq, achieving a feat few Louisiana startups ever have en.wikipedia.org. This IPO (via a $308 million SPAC deal with investor Tilman Fertitta) gave Waitr a war chest to expand its footprint and tech. Suddenly, a startup born in a city of 75,000 people was trading on the big board in NYC – talk about scaling up!
Flush with capital, Waitr made a game-changing acquisition in January 2019: it bought Bite Squad for $321 million, effectively doubling its size overnighten.wikipedia.org.
Bite Squad was a Minneapolis-based delivery service with a similar model, and this acquisition instantly expanded Waitr’s reach into new states and hundreds of additional mid-tier cities. The message was clear: own the underserved markets before anyone else could.
By combining forces, Waitr became a true heavyweight in second- and third-tier cities. In fact, at its peak Waitr had grown into the fourth-largest food delivery operator in the U.S.businessinsider.com – right behind the “Big Three” of DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Not bad for a startup that began in a town smaller than many city neighborhoods! 🚀
But rapid growth wasn’t without growing pains. As competition heated up and profitability beckoned, Waitr had to refine its model. The company shifted from employing drivers to using independent contractor drivers (a move similar to its larger rivals) to control costs.
It was a tough transition – over 2,000 employed drivers were laid off – yet it helped stabilize finances. By 2020, under new CEO Carl Grimstad, Waitr actually managed to turn a quarterly profitbusinessinsider.com, proving its small-town empire could be financially viable with the right adjustments.
Throughout these changes, one thing never wavered: Waitr’s focus on underserved markets. As of 2021, Waitr (together with acquired brands) was operating in over 1,000 U.S. cities, almost all small and mid-sized marketsbusinesswire.comnrn.com.
Owning these niche markets gave Waitr something the giants couldn’t easily replicate – entrenched local networks and customer loyalty. If you lived in Baton Rouge, Little Rock, or Gainesville, there was a good chance Waitr was the go-to delivery app long before the national players ever showed up.
"Own the market no one else sees, and by the time they notice, it's yours."
How did Waitr scale so effectively across hundreds of relatively isolated markets? The secret sauce was a combination of high-touch service and high-tech platform. Waitr invested heavily in its technology to ensure that being first in a small town also meant being best in town.
Key features of Waitr’s platform included:
By combining such robust tech infrastructure with a personal, local touch, Waitr delivered an experience that felt tailor-made for each town. A burger from the corner grill or a po’boy from the local deli could now be ordered as easily as in San Francisco or Manhattan. Technology leveled the playing field for small-town businesses, and Waitr became the trusted intermediary connecting them with modern consumers.
Crucially, Waitr treated its restaurant partners not just as vendors but as customers to be served. They offered attentive support, low setup costs, and initially even reasonable commission rates – a far cry from the impersonal approach of larger delivery companies.
This earned goodwill and buy-in from restaurants who then rooted for Waitr’s success (because it was their success, too). Happy restaurants, happy customers, and smart tech – that was Waitr’s winning formula in its early rise.
"Customer experience isn't just for the end-user. Treat your partners like customers, and they'll help you win the market."
Waitr’s rise underscores a fundamental strategy for marketplace entrepreneurs: go where the competition isn’t. By being first to bring delivery to dozens of small cities, Waitr locked in a defensible position. It’s a classic David vs. Goliath tale – except David went and claimed a bunch of territory while Goliath wasn’t looking!
Why are underserved markets so valuable? For one, user acquisition is cheaper and faster when people have literally zero alternatives. Waitr often faced no incumbent rival in a new city – meaning every restaurant it signed and every customer who downloaded the app was an outright market share win. By the time big competitors considered entering those markets, Waitr already had brand recognition, local operations, and customer loyalty in place.
Moreover, small markets can foster huge loyalty. In tight-knit communities, word-of-mouth travels fast. Waitr’s presence was genuinely celebrated by locals and even city officials (who saw job creation from delivery drivers and more revenue for restaurants). This emotional connection is something that’s hard for a late-arriving competitor to replicate with just promo codes. Waitr wasn’t just a service; it became part of the local fabric.
For aspiring marketplace founders, the lesson is powerful: don’t underestimate niche or geographically small markets. “Underserved” can equal “undersaturated.” Owning a handful of small markets can be more valuable than being a bit player in a large, cutthroat market. Waitr’s strategy gave it breathing room to grow without burning cash in winner-take-all metros. It’s better to be loved by a smaller niche than ignored by a broad one.
"Big players chase big markets. Smart players capture the right markets."
Ask yourself: Which market or customer segment is currently underserved in my industry? What pain point can I solve where few others are paying attention? It could be a region, a demographic, or a specialty vertical. As Waitr proved, capturing a market that others overlook can be the springboard to outsized success.
As Waitr grew, it didn’t stop at restaurant meals. The company saw opportunity to deliver anything underserved customers might need. This led to a series of bold expansions beyond the traditional restaurant-to-home model, setting the stage for the rebrand to “ASAP.”
Groceries & Convenience: Many Waitr markets were food deserts not just for restaurant delivery but for groceries as well. So Waitr added local grocery stores and convenience stores onto its platform businesswire.com. Users could order milk, snacks, or even that missing ingredient for tonight’s dinner and have it dropped at their doorstep.
A marquee deal came in 2022 when 7-Eleven partnered with Waitr to offer delivery from 700+ convenience stores nationwidenrn.com. Suddenly, you could get a Slurpee, a pizza, or a pack of paper towels delivered via the same Waitr app.
This move into convenience retail was a natural extension – leveraging Waitr’s network of drivers and local know-how to bring anything to customers fast. It also reinforced Waitr’s presence in its core markets by offering services the big food apps hadn’t focused on in those areas.
Cannabis & Specialty Retail: Perhaps Waitr’s most headline-grabbing pivot was into the world of cannabis delivery. Noting that cannabis is a $38 billion industry that the major delivery players were hesitant (or legally unable) to enter, Waitr decided to become a first mover in this space too businessinsider.com businessinsider.com.
As CEO Carl Grimstad put it, why chase DoorDash and Uber Eats in saturated food delivery when you could deliver a product “the big three players wouldn’t touch”?
businessinsider.com. In 2021–2022, Waitr acquired software companies serving cannabis dispensaries and built out the tech to handle compliance, inventory and payments in that heavily regulated market restaurantdive.com.
The plan was to connect dispensaries to customers for on-demand delivery, initially in Canada and in U.S. states where legal businessinsider.com. By rebranding to “ASAP” in 2022, the company signaled a broad vision: ASAP wasn’t just about restaurant food; it would deliver anything from takeout tacos to CBD gummies.
Cannabis was a bold frontier – but true to its playbook, Waitr/ASAP aimed to establish itself early in markets others shied away from restaurantdive.com.
This diversification into groceries, convenience, and cannabis illustrates a key principle: successful marketplaces find ways to increase their share of customer needs. Once you have the infrastructure (drivers, tech platform, payment systems), you can layer on new verticals.
Waitr leveraged its strengths to enter new delivery categories where it could be a first mover or a differentiated player. Importantly, these moves also insulated Waitr from being a one-trick pony. If food delivery growth slowed, perhaps delivering convenience items or legal cannabis could pick up the slack. In the long run, the name “ASAP” envisioned a service that would bring you anything as soon as possible, not just dinner.
For founders, Waitr’s expansion is a reminder to look for adjacent opportunities once your core is established. Ask: What else do my customers need? What other services could my platform facilitate using the same resources? Each new vertical can unlock fresh revenue streams and widen your moat against competitors.
"Innovation means never sticking to the same menu. Keep adding value, course by course."
The Power of Storytelling and Brand
Another often overlooked factor in Waitr’s rise was its ability to tell a compelling story – to customers, restaurants, and investors alike. Waitr wasn’t just selling delivery; it was selling the vision of small-town America finally getting a taste of tech convenience. From NFL star Drew Brees investing early on, to local news celebrating “our very own delivery app,” Waitr cultivated goodwill and buzz through storytelling.
The narrative of “Louisiana startup makes good” was endearing and helped rally communities around the app. This is something any marketplace founder can emulate: make your customers and partners feel like they’re part of an exciting journey. When people feel emotionally invested in your story, they’ll champion your business for you.
One technique Waitr (and later ASAP) used was bold rebranding and marketing. The name “Waitr” itself was a playful take on waiter/waitress, tying into food service, but as the company’s scope grew, the switch to “ASAP” was a strategic story pivot. It told the world (and the market) that “we can deliver more than restaurant meals – we deliver anything ASAP.”
That kind of branding clarity is powerful. It asks a question in the customer’s mind: “What can I get delivered ASAP?” – which opens the door to endless possibilities on the platform. As you build your marketplace, think about the story your brand name and marketing tell. Are you positioning yourself as just another app, or as a movement disrupting the status quo?
Inspiration for Marketplace Founders: Your Playbook to Build the Next Waitr
Waitr’s journey from a college notebook idea to a small-town delivery giant offers inspiration and a playbook for anyone looking to build a successful marketplace. Here are key takeaways and actionable questions for you, the entrepreneur:
Remember, every unicorn starts as a pony. Waitr didn’t begin with billions in funding or a presence in Manhattan and San Francisco. It started in a small Louisiana city, solving a problem close to home. Your marketplace idea might do the same in your “small pond.” And if you execute with the kind of passion and relentless focus Waitr did, you could ride a similar rocket ship of growth – perhaps even surpassing Waitr’s outcome.
"Big dreams often start on a small scale. The only wrong move is not starting at all."
Build Your Small-Town Success Story (With the Right Partner)
Feeling fired up to tackle your own underserved market and build the next Slice or Waitr-like success story? 💡 Now is the time to take action.
The good news: you don’t have to do it alone or build everything from scratch. Platforms like Ordering.co exist to give you a powerful, ready-to-go infrastructure for online ordering, delivery logistics, and marketplace management. In other words, the heavy tech lifting is handled – you can focus on strategy, growth, and carving out your niche.
Ordering.co is the platform built for founders and entrepreneurs who want to launch scalable marketplaces fast.
Whether you’re dreaming of dominating local food delivery in your region, creating an on-demand service for specialty products, or uniting independent businesses under one digital roof, Ordering.co provides the tools to do it. It’s the same kind of technology that powered companies like Waitr and Slice, now at your fingertips. Why struggle with coding and costly development when a proven solution can get you up and running in a fraction of the time?
The next small-town delivery giant could be YOURS. Learn from Waitr’s playbook, apply these lessons, and harness the best technology to give yourself an edge. Who says the next big marketplace has to start in Silicon Valley? 🚀 It can start in your hometown, today.
Ready to Make Your Move?
Ask yourself: If not now, when? If not you, who? The demand is out there in countless underserved markets and niches. The first mover advantage is yours for the taking. All you need is the determination to solve a real problem – and the right platform partner to power your vision.
Take the leap and launch your own marketplace now. Launch your marketplace with Ordering.co and turn your idea into the next success story we’ll be writing about! Your journey from idea to industry leader could start this very moment – and we’re here to help you make it happen, step by step, city by city. It’s time to build, grow, and become the giant of your niche. 🎉
Now go forth and create the future of online marketplaces… your story could be the next one that inspires us all. 🚀