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.
KickoffLabs
KickoffLabs is a viral marketing platform that helps you grow your audience through referral contests, sweepstakes, and rewards programs designed to turn your leads into brand influencers.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | ChowNow | KickoffLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Website | chownow.com | kickofflabs.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $29/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 0 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2011 | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, USA | Seattle, 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.
KickoffLabs
KickoffLabs is a specialized marketing platform designed to help you generate leads through viral referral mechanics. Instead of just collecting email addresses, you can encourage your audience to share your brand by offering rewards, leaderboard positions, or early access to products. You can set up sophisticated referral loops where every new sign-up is incentivized to invite their friends, effectively lowering your customer acquisition costs.
The platform provides you with everything needed to launch a campaign, including hosted landing pages, embeddable widgets for your existing site, and automated email sequences. It is particularly effective for product launches, waitlists, and e-commerce growth. You can track your most influential fans with detailed analytics and manage your entire contest lifecycle from a single dashboard without needing a dedicated developer team.
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.
KickoffLabs Features
- Viral Referral Tracking. Assign unique referral links to every lead so you can track exactly who is sharing your brand and driving new sign-ups.
- Reward Level System. Set up automated milestones where you can give away digital or physical prizes once a lead refers a specific number of friends.
- Leaderboard Giveaways. Create healthy competition among your fans by displaying real-time rankings to encourage more sharing and higher engagement.
- Waitlist Management. Build hype for your upcoming product launch by letting people jump ahead in line when they refer others to your list.
- Verified Actions. Award extra contest entries when your leads follow you on social media, watch videos, or visit specific pages on your site.
- Fraud Protection. Protect your campaign integrity with built-in tools that identify and flag fake emails or suspicious referral activity automatically.
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
KickoffLabs Pricing
- Up to 2,000 unique visitors
- Unlimited leads
- Viral referral tracking
- Standard templates
- KickoffLabs branding
- Email support
- Everything in Lite, plus:
- Up to 10,000 unique visitors
- Custom domain support
- Reward levels & milestones
- Advanced fraud protection
- A/B testing tools
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
KickoffLabs
Pros
- Excellent viral mechanics for rapid list building
- Easy to set up without technical coding skills
- Highly responsive and helpful customer support team
- Detailed analytics for tracking top influencers
- Flexible embedding options for existing websites
Cons
- Lower tiers include KickoffLabs branding
- Visitor limits can be reached quickly during peaks
- Learning curve for complex multi-step rewards