PHOTOS COURTESY OF COOPER’S HAWK
It currently has a presence in all major U.S. cities, Wen said, but plans to hire more sales reps in second- and third-tier cities as well as the suburbs. It will also invest in developing new products, including a suite of AI-powered tools. Its first entry is an AI advertising tool that automates Google ad placements for operators. The $81 million round is Chowbus’ fourth fundraise since 2020, and it has now raised $281 million to support its POS business. The company’s large addressable market and its progress on AI are what caught the attention of Prysm Capital and Left Lane Capital, which led the latest capital infusion. “Chowbus is leveraging AI to enter these massive service areas, providing 10x better efficiency than traditional solutions, while maintaining the essential human touch required in the hospitality industry,” said Harley Miller, CEO of Left Lane, in a statement. “By moving beyond software to become a true operating partner, they’re helping these restaurants compete at a level previously reserved for chains.” Chowbus faces a lot of competition in the POS market for independent restaurants, particularly large and established suppliers like Toast, Square and SpotOn. But the company believes it is in a category of one. “We’re truly the only cloud-based, modern POS for Asian restaurants specifically,” Wen said. “That’s our unique market positioning.”
“CHOWBUS IS LEVERAGING AI TO ENTER THESE MASSIVE SERVICE AREAS, PROVIDING 10X BETTER EFFICIENCY THAN TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS, WHILE MAINTAINING THE ESSENTIAL HUMAN TOUCH REQUIRED IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.” - Harley Miller, CEO of Left Lane
For instance, at Korean barbecue concepts, customers typically will add dishes to their order throughout the meal, which can be inefficient for staff. Chowbus offers a tablet ordering option that streamlines this process. It also developed a tool that limits how much customers can order in “all-you- can-eat” situations. “If you just allow the customer to order whatever they want, the food costs will go up,” Wen said. With Chowbus, “You can limit how many items the customer can submit for every round of ordering and what’s the ordering interval and also the total dining time.” Not only does Chowbus’ product reflect the needs of its customer base, but so does the makeup of the company itself. Chowbus employees are bilingual, which allows them to connect better with operators who may
speak little to no English. “I think bilingual is by default to serve immigrant restaurants,” Wen said. “They always prefer to speak to someone who speaks their language and understands their culture.” Its tech, meanwhile, can be configured in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. Chowbus’ growth has dovetailed with a surge of interest in Asian culture in the U.S., evident in the growing popularity of imports like K-pop music, Labubu plush toys and, yes, Asian restaurant chains. Concepts such as BBQ Chicken, Paris Baguette and KPot Korean BBQ—a Chowbus customer—have seen double-digit growth in recent years. Chowbus now works with more than 3,000 brands and nearly 10,000 locations, and plans to use its latest fundraise to allow it to capture more of that growing market.
APRIL 2026 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
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