ChowNow, the leading online ordering and marketing platform for local, independent restaurants, today announced another new product in its mission to strengthen the relationship between diners and local restaurants, and keep takeout and delivery orders flowing during the ongoing Covid-19 shutdowns.

ChowNow’s new Loyal Local Membership program allows diners to support their favorite restaurants by purchasing a one-year membership at bronze, silver, or gold membership levels. In return, members receive discounts of up to 25% on every order from the restaurant for an entire year. This win-win structure has a host of benefits:

• Every dollar in membership fees goes to restaurants immediately
• The relationship between diner and restaurant is strengthened
• Restaurants’ reliance on third-party apps is reduced, avoiding outrageous commissions
• Repeat ordering among members is incentivized over the course of an entire year

Over 670 restaurants have signed up for the new program in just two weeks, and 20 are now participating in a pilot program designed to fine tune the restaurant-to-diner marketing program ChowNow is launching to support the restaurants that take part.

“I’m excited about these new memberships,” says Daniele Barrick, owner of Scottish Bakehouse in Tisbury, Massachusetts. The restaurant has added 68 new members in just two weeks, resulting in over $6000 in new revenue from membership fees. “It’s a way for our regulars to feel like members of the Scottish Bakehouse family, and a way for us to continue serving our community while financially sustaining the business operations to make that possible.”

The impact of Covid-19 shutdown on restaurants is unprecedented. Restricted to takeout and delivery, restaurants have seen their revenue plunge overnight. In response, ChowNow has mobilized their entire operation to focus on developing and rolling out new products and programs for restaurants at record pace.

Unlike other third-party food ordering and delivery apps, ChowNow’s business model is focused on building and strengthening relationships between local, independent restaurants and their customers by powering restaurants’ online ordering systems and marketing programs for an affordable monthly fee. This sustainable model frees restaurants from the onerous commissions and hidden fees charged by most third-party delivery apps — many of whom charge restaurants commissions of up to 40% on each order while retaining ownership of all customer data, essentially hijacking restaurants’ customers while simultaneously siphoning off their profits.

“Keeping orders and revenue flowing is critical for local restaurants right now, but how we order matters more than ever. Loyal Local Members are making the choice to not only support a beloved local restaurant, but also to order in a way that avoids unscrupulous middlemen and their egregious commissions,” says ChowNow CEO Chris Webb. “It’s a mutual support system — a virtuous circle that benefits diner and restaurant alike.”