Snapfinger

High-Level Overview

Snapfinger is a technology company that built a remote ordering platform for the casual dining and quick service restaurant (QSR) industry, enabling online and mobile food ordering for take-out, delivery, and catering from major national brands like Subway, Outback Steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, Bob Evans, Boston Market, and Firehouse Subs.[2][3][4] It served restaurants and consumers by providing a nationwide destination for seamless digital orders integrated with top point-of-sale (POS) systems, solving the problem of fragmented remote ordering in an industry reliant on in-person transactions.[1][2][4] The platform connected users to over 28,000 restaurant locations across 1,600+ cities at its peak, generating significant transaction volume before being acquired multiple times, most recently contributing to EMN8's scale with over 12,000 restaurants and $275 million in customer revenues.[1][4]

Origin Story

Snapfinger originated from Kudzu Interactive, founded in August 2004 by Jim Garrett, a pioneer in Internet banking and financial services marketing, who developed the first .NET and Web 2.0 remote ordering interface for major restaurant POS platforms.[4] Garrett launched Snapfinger.com in September 2008 after three years of R&D, starting with access to 6,000 U.S. restaurant locations and quickly expanding to 28,000 by 2009; early milestones included a multi-year exclusive marketing deal with Coca-Cola's Hospitality and Food Services Division in 2005 and the first iPhone app in September 2009, plus branded apps for chains like Subway and Outback.[4] The company raised $7M from investors including Norwest Venture Partners before its acquisition by Tillster in June 2013, and later integrated into EMN8 via a $50M-funded deal, building on its Alpharetta, Georgia headquarters established after relocating from Mississippi.[1][2][4][5]

Core Differentiators

• Comprehensive Network and Scale: Largest U.S. platform connecting millions of users to thousands of top restaurant brands across 28,000+ locations in 1,600+ cities, with integrations to 15 major POS systems covering 90% of QSR and casual dining.[1][3][4]
• Total Access Technology Platform: Fully integrated e-commerce solution supporting web, mobile (including early iPhone app), and branded apps, enabling ordering, payment, and POS synchronization for take-out, delivery, and catering.[2][4]
• Enterprise-Grade Reliability: High availability, redundancy for mission-critical apps, and partnerships with giants like Cisco, Equifax, and NET, powering remote ordering for multi-unit chains.[1][4]
• User and Brand Focus: Award-winning UI/UX with guest-centric insights, one-to-one marketing, loyalty tools, and direct access via interactive menus, differentiating from competitors like Grubhub or Olo.[1][3]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Snapfinger rode the early 2000s wave of mobile commerce and digital transformation in restaurants, timing its 2008 launch with smartphone adoption (e.g., iPhone) and the shift from phone orders to app-based remote ordering amid rising demand for convenience.[2][4] Market forces like POS digitization, franchise growth, and consumer preference for take-out/delivery—accelerated later by events like the pandemic—favored its POS integrations and nationwide scale, positioning it ahead of fragmented competitors in QSR and casual dining.[1][3] It influenced the ecosystem by pioneering integrated platforms now standard in players like EMN8 and Tillster, enabling chains to boost revenues, margins, and loyalty through data-driven engagement, and setting precedents for acquisitions that consolidate ordering tech.[1][2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Post-acquisition by EMN8, Snapfinger's technology enhances a unified platform serving 40+ marquee chains with 30M+ POS-integrated orders, focusing on AI-driven personalization and global expansion amid ongoing digital ordering growth projected to dominate QSR.[1] Trends like seamless omnichannel experiences, embedded payments, and sustainability tracking will shape its evolution within EMN8, potentially amplifying influence through further M&A or integrations with emerging POS like Toast. As restaurants prioritize direct-to-consumer channels over aggregators, Snapfinger's legacy in scalable, brand-owned ordering positions it to drive sustained revenue growth in a $100B+ U.S. market, evolving from standalone innovator to core engine in consolidated platforms.[1][3]