Our Story
Built by Restaurant People, for Restaurant People
In 2015, Sterling Douglass started asking restaurant operators about their biggest problems. Their answer became our mission: simplify technology and put independent operators in control of their growth.
Where It Started
A Problem Worth Solving
Co-founders Sterling Douglass (CEO) and Justin McNally (Chief Innovation Officer) saw restaurants drowning in disconnected technology. Tablets from every delivery app cluttering the counter. Manual order entry causing mistakes. Menus out of sync across platforms. They built Chowly to fix all of it with one integration.
“Back in 2015, I started asking restaurants about their problems. They kept telling me their Grubhub tablets didn’t talk to their POS systems.”
Sterling Douglass — Co-Founder & CEO
From Integration Tool to Growth Platform
Three industry firsts and a decade of building what restaurants actually need.
The Problem Nobody Was Solving
Sterling Douglass started asking restaurant operators about their biggest pain points. The answer was always the same: 3rd party ordering tablets didn't talk to their POS systems. Manual order entry, constant menu updates, lost tickets. Chowly was born to fix it.
First to Integrate 3P and POS
Chowly became the first platform to connect 3rd party marketplaces directly to POS systems. Orders from Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats fired straight into the kitchen — no tablets, no double entry.
Bi-Directional Menu Sync
Another industry first: bi-directional POS menu synchronization. Change a price or 86 an item in your POS — it updates across every delivery platform automatically.
Virtual Restaurant Integration
When virtual brands exploded during COVID, Chowly was the first to offer virtual restaurant POS integration — letting operators run multiple brands from one kitchen, one POS.
The Platform Shift
Chowly evolved from an integration tool into a full growth platform. Marketing websites, 1st party online ordering, Google Ads, email marketing, loyalty programs — everything a restaurant needs to own their customers.
AI-Powered Everything
AI agents now run across the platform — managing Google Ads, optimizing delivery pricing, recovering disputed charges, and driving repeat orders. 17,000+ locations trust Chowly to grow their business.
Our Values
One Team
Success depends on collective effort. We support one another and celebrate wins together.
Resilience
We push through challenges with a positive mindset. Setbacks are learning opportunities.
Direct Communication
Honest, straightforward dialogue. We own mistakes and explain our reasoning.
Focus
We finish what we start and use data to guide direction. No half-built features.
Push the Envelope
We challenge conventions. Three industry firsts and counting — because restaurants deserve better tech.
Why “Chowly”?
The name comes from the simple excitement of good food — “Let’s get some chow!” When we asked restaurants what they wanted from technology, the answer was always the same: make it simple. The name reflects that commitment.