ItsaCheckmate, a company that helps restaurants manage third-party orders, wants to help them generate first-party orders, too.
It said Tuesday that it has acquired Open Tender, a company that allows restaurants to design their own mobile apps and websites where customers can order directly. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
ItsaCheckmate said buying the company gives restaurants an alternative to legacy ordering providers and a more integrated tech stack. Its customers will be able to manage both apps with a single login, for instance.
“With the acquisition of Open Tender, we have expanded our third-party ordering platform to include elegant, seamless and scalable first-party ordering and guest engagement products,” said CEO Vishar Agarwal in a statement.
ItsaCheckmate’s software takes incoming orders from apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats and sends them directly to a restaurant’s POS, eliminating the need for multiple tablets and manual order entry. Clients include large chains like Wendy’s, Five Guys and Arby’s and cover more than 20,000 restaurant locations.
Agarwal said the company will market Open Tender toward chains with 15 units or more. One of its customers, the frozen yogurt specialist 16 Handles, is already planning to adopt the new system.
“We are excited to be moving to Open Tender’s first-party digital ordering and guest engagement to unify and synergize our tech stack with ItsaCheckmate,” said Neil Hershman, CEO and owner of 16 Handles, in a statement.
Founded in 2013, Open Tender's emphasis is on simplicity and speed: Restaurants can use it to launch a customized website or app by themselves in just a few days, complete with features like loyalty, reordering and upsells, the company said. Its customers include Brown Bag Seafood, Proper Food and Mangia.
Last month, ItsaCheckmate competitor Chowly made a similar move, acquiring online ordering provider Koala in hopes of reaching smaller restaurants. The deals bring both companies more in line with the larger Olo, which offers online ordering, order integration and other software.
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