Ordoo

Ordoo, founded in 2015 by Tom Dewhurst, operated as a mobile ordering platform enabling customers to order and pay in advance at hospitality venues like cafes, bars, and restaurants. The company has been reported as dead-pooled. Dewhurst, who studied Business Administration at the University of Bath and had stints at Accenture and Vodafone, developed the idea for the app before the widespread adoption of QR codes in the restaurant industry. His entrepreneurial drive was evident from a young age.

The business targeted busy individuals who wanted to save time by pre-ordering food and drinks, effectively beating the queue. For its partner venues, Ordoo positioned itself as a tool to enhance customer experience and gather valuable data. The platform aimed to help independent venues digitize, build personal relationships with their customers, and reward loyalty. The business model focused on providing a mobile ordering and payment application. Revenue was generated through partner venues, who received weekly payments from the transactions processed securely through the app. The company also received an undisclosed amount of seed funding in March 2017 from investors including SETsquared and Langton Capital.

Ordoo's core product was a mobile app that allowed users to browse menus, customize their orders, select a pick-up time, and pay through a saved card. A key feature was the ability for users to re-order items quickly, such as a morning coffee, in just a few taps. For the businesses it served, Ordoo provided a dashboard for menu management, reporting, analytics, and user engagement tools. The system was designed to integrate with existing EPOS systems to avoid the need for extra hardware. The platform also offered features like digital loyalty programs and tailored branding for each venue, allowing them to customize their in-app store with logos and colors.

Keywords: mobile ordering, food and drink app, order ahead, queue-beating app, cafe loyalty, restaurant technology, hospitality solutions, Tom Dewhurst, digital loyalty, EPOS integration, customer engagement platform, pre-order, takeaway app, coffee shop app, mobile payments, venue management, SETsquared, Langton Capital, food tech, UK startup