Foodjunky.com, an office-service firm launched in Chicago last fall, has relocated to downtown Detroit.
More than two dozen Detroit restaurants are in the downtown startup's network.
The startup simplifies individual food orders for meetings, office groups and small events. The menu from a participating restaurant is emailed to everyone in a group, letting each person select food directly. The host pays the restaurant through Foodjunky, which gets a percentage of the tab for its coordination service, according to a news release posted by Opportunity Detroit.
“We are excited about launching our business in downtown Detroit, which is fast becoming one of the most exciting high-tech corridors in the nation,” said Foodjunky co-founder and CEO Travis Johnson. . . .
“Our goal is to turn group ordering into a pleasant and enjoyable experience for both our customers and the restaurants in our network. . . . Foodjunky uses technology to simplify the group food ordering process, making the process more efficient for restaurants and consumers alike while making sure everyone gets exactly what they ordered.”
Orders can be placed with more than two dozen spots, including Armando's, Fishbone's, Cadillac Square Diner, Chickpea in the D, Detroit Beer Company, Pegasus Taverna, PizzaPapalis, American Coney Island, Vincente's Cuban Cuisine, Bangkok Crossing and CK Mediterranean Grill.
A short animation below shows the process, first described locally by Jon Zemke at ModelD.
Johnson, a Chicago native, and his small team moved this summer to the M@dison Building in Detroit to become part of Bizdom, a nonprofit tech startup accelerator founded in 2007 by Dan Gilbert.
Part of Foodjunky's pitch is that customized restaurant orders are less costly than using a caterer. “If you cater it, there's too much food and you waste it,” he told Crain's Chicago Business last November.
