ChowNow
ChowNow is an online ordering and marketing platform that helps independent restaurants build their own branded digital storefronts to take commission-free orders directly from their customers.
meez
meez is a professional recipe management and culinary operating system designed to help chefs and restaurant operators organize recipes, calculate food costs, and manage kitchen workflows with precision.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | ChowNow | meez |
|---|---|---|
| Website | chownow.com | getmeez.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2011 | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, USA | New York, USA |
Overview
ChowNow
ChowNow provides you with the tools to take control of your restaurant's digital presence and eliminate high third-party delivery fees. You can launch your own branded ordering system across your website, social media profiles, and a custom-built mobile app. This allows you to keep 100% of your profits on every order while capturing valuable customer data that third-party apps usually keep for themselves.
The platform focuses on sustainable growth by providing you with automated marketing tools and a dedicated success manager to help increase your order volume. Whether you run a single local eatery or a growing regional chain, you can manage your entire digital menu and track sales performance through a centralized dashboard. It integrates directly with your existing POS system to keep your kitchen operations running smoothly without manual data entry.
meez
meez is a digital culinary operating system built specifically for the workflow of professional chefs and food service operators. You can move beyond static spreadsheets and paper binders by centralizing your recipes in a dynamic, collaborative workspace. The platform allows you to scale recipes instantly, convert units automatically, and view real-time food cost updates as ingredient prices change.
You can also use the platform to train your kitchen staff visually with embedded videos and photos directly within recipe steps. Whether you manage a single independent restaurant, a large catering operation, or a multi-unit brand, it helps you maintain consistency across every plate while protecting your profit margins through detailed ingredient tracking and menu engineering tools.
Overview
ChowNow Features
- Commission-Free Ordering Keep every dollar you earn from your online orders instead of paying 15-30% in fees to third-party delivery platforms.
- Branded Mobile Apps Launch your own custom-branded iOS and Android apps so your customers can order directly from their home screens.
- OrderBetter Network Get discovered by new diners through a network of high-traffic sites like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor with integrated ordering.
- Automated Marketing Send automated email campaigns and push notifications to your customers to drive repeat business and increase order frequency.
- POS Integrations Sync your online orders directly with your existing point-of-sale system to eliminate manual entry and reduce kitchen errors.
- Customer Data Ownership Access your own customer database including email addresses and order history to power your personalized marketing efforts.
meez Features
- Dynamic Recipe Scaling. Resize your recipes instantly by yield, serving size, or specific ingredient quantity while maintaining perfect ratios every time.
- Automatic Unit Conversion. Convert between weight and volume automatically so you never have to manually calculate how many grams are in a cup.
- Real-Time Food Costing. Link your ingredient costs to recipes to see exactly how much every plate costs you to produce as prices fluctuate.
- Visual Training Tools. Upload photos and videos to specific recipe steps so your team knows exactly how to prep and plate every dish.
- Ingredient Database. Manage a master list of ingredients with custom yields and waste percentages to ensure your ordering and costing stay accurate.
- Menu Engineering. Analyze your menu mix to identify your most profitable items and optimize your offerings for better bottom-line results.
Pricing Comparison
ChowNow Pricing
- Commission-free ordering
- Ordering on your website
- Google Search & Maps ordering
- Digital menu management
- Standard payment processing
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Custom-branded mobile app
- Automated email marketing
- Dedicated Success Manager
- Loyalty program tools
- Advanced data reporting
meez Pricing
- Unlimited personal recipes
- Basic scaling and conversions
- Ingredient database access
- Mobile app access
- Recipe sharing capabilities
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Advanced food costing
- Invoice processing
- Inventory management
- Menu engineering tools
- Nutritional analysis
Pros & Cons
ChowNow
Pros
- Eliminates expensive per-order commissions entirely
- Provides full ownership of customer contact data
- Responsive customer support and dedicated success managers
- Easy-to-use interface for updating menus quickly
Cons
- Initial setup fees can be high
- Requires your own staff for local delivery
- Limited customization options for the mobile app
meez
Pros
- Intuitive interface designed specifically for chef workflows
- Excellent automatic unit conversions save significant time
- Visual recipe steps improve consistency across shifts
- Mobile-friendly design works well in hot kitchens
- Easy to share recipes with external collaborators
Cons
- Initial data entry for ingredients is time-consuming
- Higher tiers can be expensive for small operations
- Learning curve for advanced menu engineering features