Crave Up

What Crave Up does

Crave Up Inc. is a Los Angeles-based software company that operates a web-based digital ordering, customer engagement, and payments platform for independent restaurants and multi-location food and beverage concepts. The platform is delivered as a unified SaaS product comprising custom-branded online storefronts, QR code ordering, unified order management, integrated point-of-sale connectivity, customer insights, and automated marketing, plus a developer-facing extension called Crave.js that exposes ordering, customer, loyalty, and notification APIs through JavaScript SDKs and UI Kits. The architecture is API-first and designed to abstract operational complexity so that restaurant operators can launch branded storefronts in minutes without building native apps.

The company monetizes primarily through tiered monthly subscriptions: Starter at $199/month, Growth at $299/month, and a custom-priced Enterprise tier with multi-year contracts, supplemented by per-transaction processing fees of 2.5%-2.9% plus $0.30. Go-to-market combines product-led self-serve signup for SMB restaurants with an enterprise sales motion for chains and franchises, supported by deep integrations with major POS systems (Square, Clover, Toast), delivery platforms (DoorDash Drive, Uber Eats, Grubhub, ChowNow, Caviar, Postmates), and analytics tools (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel). Vertical-specific solution suites are offered for QSRs, bars and breweries, hotels, food halls, franchise groups, and golf courses. A new accounting module, Crave Financials, is in closed beta as of 2024.

Founded in 2019 and operating with a team of 1-10, Crave Up has disclosed approximately $1.05M in funding across three early rounds, the most recent being a $350,000 round in December 2021 from Gold House and Sterling Road. The company is privately held with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed institutional control beyond those early investors.

Name

Crave Up

Legal name

Crave Up Inc.

Website

https://craveup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crave Up is a Los Angeles-based SaaS platform that provides web-based digital ordering, QR code ordering, POS integration, and customer engagement tools for independent restaurants and multi-location food and beverage operators, monetized via tiered monthly subscriptions and per-transaction fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Online Ordering Platform

akta.pro primary industry

Grocery, Food & Essentials Commerce Platforms (BPAMAGAF)

Keywords

• Restaurant online ordering
• QR code ordering
• POS integration
• Restaurant management platform
• Food and beverage SaaS

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Platform Subscription Fees: Monthly subscription fees for platform access at three tiers: Starter ($199/mo), Growth ($299/mo), and Enterprise (custom pricing). Recurring revenue from restaurant operators for access to ordering platform, menu management, and analytics.
2. Transaction Fees: Per-transaction fees charged on orders placed through the platform: 2.9% + $0.30 for Starter tier and 2.5% + $0.30 for Growth tier. Volume-based pricing for Enterprise tier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Crave Up provides a web-based digital menu, ordering, and payments platform that lets independent restaurants and multi-location F&B concepts launch custom-branded online storefronts, accept orders via QR code, and unify order management across dine-in, pickup, and delivery channels. The platform also includes POS integration (Square, Clover, Toast), customer insights, automated marketing, loyalty tools, and developer APIs (Crave.js) for building F&B ordering experiences. Pricing is tiered monthly subscriptions (Starter $199/mo, Growth $299/mo, Enterprise custom) with per-transaction fees on top.

Product overview

Crave Up is a single unified platform for food and beverage businesses that offers an all-in-one solution for online ordering, restaurant management, and customer engagement. The core platform, Crave Up Platform, is complemented by Crave.js (developer APIs/SDKs), Crave Business Manager (dashboard), and various functional modules including Order Management, Customer Insights, QR Code Ordering, Automated Marketing, and the upcoming Crave Financials. The company also offers industry-specific solutions for QSRs, Bars & Breweries, Hotels, Food Halls, Franchise Groups, and Golf Courses, each built on the same underlying platform with customized features. Pricing is tiered across Starter ($199/mo), Growth ($299/mo), and Enterprise (custom) plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crave.js: Developer-focused APIs, SDKs, and UI Kits for building F&B ordering applications. Extends the platform to developers building for food and beverage businesses.

Products and services

• Crave Up Platform All-in-one web-based platform for F&B operators that delivers custom-branded online ordering storefronts, QR code in-store ordering, unified order management across dine-in, pickup, and delivery, POS integration, customer insights, and automated marketing. Targets independent restaurants and multi-location concepts.
• Crave Business Manager Centralized web dashboard (dashboard.craveup.com) where restaurant operators manage orders, customer data, menus, marketing, and analytics across all channels from one place.
• Crave.js Developer Platform Developer platform (cravejs.com) exposing highly abstracted APIs for online ordering, customer management, loyalty programs, and notifications, together with JavaScript SDKs and UI Kits so developers can ship F&B customer experiences faster. Authentication via X-API-Key.
• Custom-Branded Storefront Custom-branded online ordering website builder that lets restaurants launch a unique storefront reflecting their brand identity without requiring an app.
• Branded Mobile App Offered as a launchable branded mobile app for restaurants' loyal customers with integrated ordering capabilities.
• Crave Financials Restaurant accounting and financial reconciliation module that consolidates payouts from delivery partners (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, ChowNow, Caviar, Postmates), tallies taxes per location, and exports financial data. Currently in closed beta.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced labor costs by 30% for Lonzo's Restaurant
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSquare POS integration allows seamless management of orders and payments. One of the primary POS integrations supported by the Crave Up platform.
• ClovercoreTechnology or IntegrationClover POS integration simplifies in-store and online operations. Direct integration partner for the platform.
• ToastcoreTechnology or IntegrationToast POS integration optimizes restaurant workflows and customer experience. Integrated with the platform for order management.
• DoorDash DrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationDoorDash Drive integration expands delivery reach with direct integration to DoorDash's delivery service.
• OttercoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner that extends Crave's reach to even more POS systems through their integration network.
• DeliverectcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner extending reach to additional POS systems, ensuring businesses have access to the best technology available.
• Uber EatscoreTechnology or IntegrationDelivery platform integration for the Financials module, pulling in delivery partner payout data.
• DoorDashcoreTechnology or IntegrationDelivery platform integration for financial data consolidation in the Financials module.
• GrubhubcoreTechnology or IntegrationDelivery platform integration for financial data consolidation in the Financials module.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toast: Toast is a leading restaurant operating system combining POS, online ordering, payments, and marketing. It is a direct competitor to Crave Up in the F&B digital ordering and management space, though Toast also offers POS hardware and broader back-office functionality.
• Olo: Olo is an enterprise SaaS platform powering digital ordering, delivery, and payments for large restaurant chains. It directly competes with Crave Up's Enterprise tier for multi-location brand customers, with a similar API-first architecture.
• ChowNow: ChowNow provides commission-free online ordering systems and branded websites for independent restaurants. It targets the same SMB restaurant segment as Crave Up's Starter and Growth tiers with overlapping value propositions.
• Otter: Otter is a restaurant order management and delivery aggregation platform that consolidates orders across third-party marketplaces. It is both a competitor to and an integration partner of Crave Up in the multi-channel order management category.
• Deliverect: Deliverect connects restaurant POS systems to delivery marketplaces, enabling unified order flow. It overlaps with Crave Up's order management and delivery integration capabilities, serving similar QSR and casual dining operators.

Broad incumbents

• Square Online: Square Online, part of Block, offers website building, online ordering, and payments tightly bundled with Square POS. It is a broad incumbent in the small-business commerce space and overlaps with Crave Up's SMB ordering offerings.
• Clover: Clover is a First Data/Fiserv POS and commerce platform with online ordering and marketing add-ons. It overlaps with Crave Up at the integration level and competes for SMB F&B operators seeking bundled POS-plus-ordering solutions.
• DoorDash Drive: DoorDash Drive is a white-label delivery service for restaurants and retailers. While primarily a logistics provider, it competes with Crave Up's broader commerce layer for restaurant delivery economics and is also an integration partner.
• Lightspeed Restaurant: Lightspeed Restaurant is a POS and commerce platform with online ordering, delivery, and table management. It targets SMB and mid-market restaurants with a broader suite than Crave Up, including hardware and inventory features.

Emerging players

• GloriaFood: GloriaFood offers free online ordering and table reservations for restaurants. It targets the same SMB F&B segment as Crave Up's Starter tier with a freemium model, making it a partial competitor on price-sensitive deals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crave Up