Leawood-based online restaurant platform Menufy acquired by hungry Houston cloud company

October 26, 2021  |  Startland News Staff

Menufy team, 2021

A rapidly scaling Leawood tech company that helped dozens of Kansas City restaurants, as well as eateries across 3,000 other cities, survive the pandemic has sold to a Houston-based cloud software provider for the restaurant industry.

Sharmil Desai, Menufy

Sharmil Desai, Menufy

Menufy’s vast online food ordering platform and network is expected to be incorporated into the HungerRush 360 cloud POS system as part of the undisclosed deal, which was announced Tuesday morning. The move is expected to help tens of thousands of restaurants grow their businesses, expand their capabilities and improve their profit margins, the companies said in a press release.

Click here to read more about how Menufy scaled its operations with a diverse team built in Kansas City.

“HungerRush opens a multitude of doors for the Menufy team and our customers,” said Sharmil Desai, co-founder and CEO of Menufy. “By joining a company with an impressive roster of both technology offerings and restaurant customers, Menufy’s customers now have access to a holistic suite of solutions and deep industry expertise designed to strengthen restaurant operations and improve business outcomes. Together, HungerRush and Menufy will bring restaurateurs seamless mobile and online ordering capabilities, with the goal of ultimately empowering them to grow independently and rapidly.”

Since 2009, Menufy has been helping independently-owned restaurants drive both growth and profitability through transparent pricing, a compelling online website and mobile app ordering experience designed around a restaurant’s brand. Menufy is led by Desai and Susan Escher, CFO and head of strategy.

The company supports more than 12,000 independently owned restaurants and was named one of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’ 2021 Top 10 Small Businesses — putting the company in the running for its coveted Mr. K Small Business of the Year Award.

Menufy Ashishh, Desai

Ashishh Desai, Menufy

Menufy’s foundation of adaptability is one of the key reasons the bootstrapped-company thrived in the heaviest days of the pandemic,  co-founder and director of sales Ashishh Desai told Startland News this summer, citing a quick rollout of features that streamlined curbside delivery and contactless pickup services for locally owned restaurants in 3,000 cities nationwide. 

“From the beginning, we’ve always talked to our clients about what they needed and just adjusted the software to make sure we’re meeting the needs of the majority of our customers,” he said.

In addition to having access to HungerRush’s cloud POS system, Menufy’s customers now will have access to additional integrated cloud solutions including AI-driven text ordering, marketing and delivery.

Click here to learn more about HungerRush and its focus on data-driven restaurant management, and machine learning-empowered ordering solutions

“Today’s news to acquire Menufy further builds out our portfolio with the talent and technology capabilities to continue meeting the fast-growing needs of our restaurant customers,” said Perry Turbes, CEO of HungerRush. “The addition of Menufy’s proven online ordering offerings further helps HungerRush’s customers navigate an ever-changing industry landscape. This is a time when restaurants are embracing innovation and digital solutions more than ever. This acquisition expands HungerRush’s market presence and allows us to offer our combined customers one place for a complete all-in-one solution.”

[divide]

This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.

For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2021 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        MidxMidwest teases lineup for three-day investor-innovation event (and the startup party of the year)

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        Building on Kansas City’s ambitious spirit, a new blend of music, startups and community is expected to meet at the crossroads of innovation, said Alexa Heying, pulling back the curtain on plans for the region’s flagship Midwest tech conference. “The goal of MidxMidwest is to create the connective tissue between founders, investors, and corporates so…

        Peek inside: Buffalo State Pizza takes another slice of ownership with fresh-baked downtown OP relocation

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        Three decades of pizza at a popular downtown Overland Park corner might have come to a close this week, as the crew at Buffalo State Pizza Co. picked up the last of what they could carry and walked it a half block down the street to the shop’s new home near another local favorite, The…

        One cabin, one chair, one cut: Barber swaps rushed for rustic at his no-distractions shop in the woods

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        LONE JACK, Mo. — A short drive to visit this barber — his cabin tucked away in the oaks and hickories about 35 minutes from the heart Kansas City — is about more than just the journey to a great hair cut, Micah Holdaway said; it’s about the experience. After running Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio in…

        Q&A: Troy Nash grew up in public housing; now he’s leading real estate innovation at UMKC

        By Tommy Felts | October 30, 2025

        Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click here to read the original story. [divide] Executive MBA professor named new real estate center director With more than two decades of leadership in public-private partnerships, economic development and community engagement, Troy Nash will serve as director of the Lewis…