Chowbus Surpasses $4B in Volume After Bold Pivot from Delivery App to Full-Stack Restaurant Tech Company

CHICAGO, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chowbus, a restaurant technology company built for culturally rooted food entrepreneurs, generated over $120 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), driven entirely by its tech platform launched less than two years ago. In that time, the company has also surpassed $4 billion in processed transaction volume, proving that independent restaurants can grow, compete, and thrive with the right tools.

Entrepreneurs Linxin Wen and Suyu Zhang started Chowbus in Chicago in 2016 to help immigrant-owned restaurants grow through curated food delivery and high-quality photography.  As the delivery landscape shifted toward unsustainable promotions and fee structures, it became clear the model was hurting the very businesses they set out to support.

The turning point came when founders Linxin and Suyu realized their core customers were even more underserved across in-store and digital experiences. Payments were clunky, and traditional POS systems failed to meet the needs of culturally rooted operators whose immigrant journey they could relate to. This insight sparked the company's transformation.

In 2022, Chowbus launched its full-stack tech platform, designed specifically for independent, culturally rooted restaurants. By 2024, Chowbus exited the delivery space entirely, pivoting to restaurant-first technology that offers intuitive and effective revenue-generating solutions to empower restaurant owners and improve the guest experience. Early adopter Jiang Nan—a New York-based Asian restaurant group with over 20 locations—described the shift as "like switching from Nokia to Apple," citing faster service, fewer errors, and stronger guest retention. Chubby Group, which operates 50+ locations across multiple premium dining concepts, echoed that sentiment. "With Chowbus, we now have the platform to continue scaling while delivering the premium dining experiences our customers expect," said David Zhao, Co-founder of Chubby Group. "Its flexibility, reliability, and multilingual functionality have empowered the majority of our restaurants to run more seamlessly, supporting both our team and our guests."

Chowbus serves the Asian restaurant category in the US, which has a 12% share. This segment is growing above industry growth rates in an estimated $1.1 trillion market and is expected to gain share from increasing trial of and preference for Asian cuisines, high customer retention, and product innovation. As general-purpose tools and antiquated solutions struggled to satisfy customer needs, Chowbus created a purpose built technology stack to help restaurants scale more effectively.  The success of this bold shift is clear: Chowbus has sustained an impressive 100% year-over-year growth rate since pivoting entirely from delivery platform to restaurant technology.

"Our journey has always been about innovation, equality, and reinvention with purpose," said  Linxin Wen, CEO of Chowbus. "This pivot allowed us to return to our roots, focusing primarily on supporting culturally diverse, independent restaurants so they can thrive on their own terms. Our growth validates our approach and continues to drive our commitment to innovation here."

In the three years since launching its restaurant technology platform, Chowbus has expanded nationwide to all 50 states, achieving over $4 billion in processed transaction volume and $120 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Beyond impressive metrics, this growth represents a powerful statement: culturally rooted restaurants can scale successfully on their own terms, and Chowbus is the strategic partner enabling that success.

"Investing in Chowbus is about more than just impressive numbers—it's about supporting a visionary team that's rewriting the playbook for independent restaurants." said Kerry Wei, Partner at Prysm Capital, "Their relentless focus on empowering restaurant operators demonstrates not only the scale of the opportunity, but also the kind of leadership that shapes the future of dining."

Chowbus continues to expand its tech offerings, including advanced hardware integrations, sophisticated marketing tools, and comprehensive POS solutions, helping independent restaurants compete and succeed in their communities. With continued investment in user-friendly technology, Chowbus aims to expand its impact and bring equitable innovation to even more culturally rooted food entrepreneurs in the years ahead.

About Chowbus

Chowbus is a full-stack technology platform dedicated to empowering independent, culturally rooted restaurants across the United States. Founded in 2016, Chowbus has evolved from a niche food delivery service to a leading technology provider, supporting thousands of immigrant and family-owned restaurants with intuitive POS systems, integrated marketing solutions, and powerful analytics tools. Committed to authenticity and community, Chowbus continues to redefine the future for independent restaurants, fostering sustainable growth and cultural enrichment nationwide.

For more information, visit https://www.chowbus.com/.

SOURCE Chowbus