CloudWaitress was born from a hands-on challenge in the heart of the food service industry. In August 2012, our founder, Christopher Timm—leveraging his expertise in designing ERP systems for large enterprises across New Zealand and Australia—saw an opportunity to innovate. While working full-time in tech, Chris dedicated his evenings and weekends to his family’s bustling restaurant in New Zealand. The business was thriving but chaotic: staff were overwhelmed with phone orders, resulting in inefficiencies, missed details, and frustrated customers. Spotting a fix, Chris built a custom online ordering system in October 2012 to streamline operations and cut reliance on manual calls.
The solution’s impact was immediate, catching the eye of another local restaurant owner who faced similar struggles. He asked to adopt the system and offered to refer others if it could address their shared pain points, such as endless phone calls and lost orders. This spark led to a bigger vision. By late 2015, after connecting with eateries in Perth, Australia, CloudWaitress launched as a commission-free platform to empower independent restaurants globally.
Back then, dominant online ordering players employed marketplace models, offering free menu setups and marketing, but with commissions as high as 20% per sale. These fees crushed profits in an industry with tight margins. Peter Thiel’s “Zero to One” (watch a YouTube summary here) notes that hyper-competitive sectors, such as restaurants, often lose profits to competition. A Bankwest report on Australia’s food service industry (download the PDF here) confirms margins of just 7-10%—a challenge worsened in 2025 by inflation, supply chain issues, and rising costs.
Today, in 2025, the industry has evolved with AI-driven personalisation and on-demand delivery, yet commission-heavy platforms persist. CloudWaitress stands apart, helping restaurants keep 100% of their profits with cutting-edge features that outpace competitors. Our integration with Uber Direct, launched in 2020 for white-label deliveries, connects you to Uber’s driver network without marketplace fees. Explore more at Uber Direct in the USA, Advanced Delivery Features, How Uber Direct Works, or our Uber Direct Setup Manual.
Our roadmap keeps us ahead of the curve:
These tools empower restaurants to meet 2025’s demands, from sustainable delivery to data-driven loyalty. As Chris Timm puts it, “Your own direct online ordering page is non-negotiable today—it secures your customer data, fosters loyalty, and frees you from third-party fees that erode profits.”
Hear Chris share the journey from family restaurant to global platform in the “Burgers to Business” podcast (51 minutes of tech-to-table insights): Listen on Spotify.
Join thousands of restaurants thriving with CloudWaitress—keeping more of what you earn in 2025. Contact us to start, or see success in action at Shop 225 and It’s Mirchi.
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