Pretty ProgressiveWelcome to the fourth installment of our series highlighting startups founded by minority groups. This article showcases top startups in the restaurant industry, all founded by individuals of East Asian descent. These bold, innovative young companies are redefining the industry, bringing fresh perspectives, technological innovation, and cultural richness to the table. Utilizing their individual skill sets and experiences, these founders have created businesses that aim not only to survive but to thrive, providing unique, quality services for their customers while simultaneously promoting diversity in the business landscape.
In recent years, we’ve seen an increasing number of startups founded by East Asian entrepreneurs in various sectors. Many of them have effectively leveraged their rich cultural heritage and combined it with innovative business ideas to make a significant impact. Their achievements are a testament to their creativity, determination, and business acumen.
These startups are breaking down barriers and paving new paths in the restaurant industry, introducing innovative restaurant concepts, cutting-edge technology, and new business models. Let’s take a look at some of these startups that are making waves in the industry.
Pepper
Founded by Bowie Cheung, Chetan Narain, and Ivana Tesanovic, Pepper is based in New York and operates in the food supply chain industry. The company’s eCommerce platform enables food distributors to find new customers, deepen relationships, grow revenue, and run more efficiently. The startup was started by the team that took Uber Eats from a small experiment to a billion-dollar business. In addition to their Facebook and LinkedIn, you can also follow them on Twitter (@usepepper).
ZeroStorefront
Based in San Francisco, California, ZeroStorefront, spearheaded by founders Ashutosh Joshi and Collin Wallace, offers an all-in-one platform that connects point-of-sale, delivery platforms, reviews sites, chat, phone, and other applications. It illuminates the customer path, provides attribution for customer behavior, and provides the tools necessary to safely share customer data across applications. Follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@zerostorefront).
Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery
Operating from Austin, Texas, Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery is a Chinese-American digital restaurant founded by Angell Tsang, Eunice Tsang, Gabe Ahn, and Gavin Booth. They prepare and deliver dishes from a central kitchen and customers order from an e-commerce menu ordering platform. Follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@tsodelivery).
Dokkaebier
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Dokkaebier was established by Youngwon Lee. Inspired by dokkaebi, the mysterious, shape-shifting creatures found throughout Korean folklore, Dokkaebier aims to bring their customers a unique cultural and beer tasting experience. Stay updated on their latest offerings on LinkedIn.
Pared
Pared, based in San Francisco, California, was founded by Dave Lu and Will Pacio. They provide a business intelligence platform for multi-unit restaurant operators. Keep in touch with them via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@usepared).
Science On Call
Founded by Andy Freivogel, Ken Tsang, and Luisa Castellanos, Science On Call offers a subscription-based tech support platform for restaurants. They’re based in Chicago, Illinois and help with POS, internet, Wi-Fi, online ordering and more. Stay in touch with their updates on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@scienceoncall).
