Menufy sale scales HungerRush to more than 500 workers, 20,000 restaurants, KC co-founder says

October 27, 2021  |  Channa Steinmetz

Sharmil Desai, Menufy

Growth isn’t new to the menu for Menufy’s Leawood based team, said Sharmil Desai, noting the online platform for restaurants had grown to 140 employees before its freshly announced acquisition by HungerRush.

“I can’t think of any point when Menufy has not been adding and expanding,” Desai, co-founder and CEO of Menufy, told Startland News. “We’ve always been bringing in new hires, so we’ve gotten used to managing a company with a growing team. The team here is used to change.”

Click here to read more about why Menufy sold to HungerRush, a Houston-based cloud software provider for the restaurant industry.

Menufy announced Tuesday that its e-commerce platform for restaurant ordering will be incorporated into the HungerRush 360 cloud point-of-sale (POS) system — which is complementary to solutions already offered by Menufy.

Details of the acquisition deal were not disclosed. The local team is expected to operate under the “Menufy by HungerRush” brand.

“We covered two different parts of the market with HungerRush being more mid-market and us being more SMB [small and midsize business] focused,” Desai explained. “We saw a lot of strengths that would be good for us and for both of the combined businesses.” 

“When you look at the combined businesses, the scale is impressive,” he continued, noting the 20,000 restaurants under the unified company. “The team now has over 500 employees.”

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

Although the company didn’t release specific hiring plans, Kansas City can expect to see more local job openings, Desai said.

“We have some job postings that are still open, and we definitely want to fill them,” he added. “We’re just going to keep growing.”

HungerRush’s headquarters is expected to remain in Houston, but Leawood, Kansas, will be added to the company’s list of offices. Other locations include: India, Austin, New York and Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

As organizational changes lie ahead for the company, Desai said, the Menufy team is ready to dive in while still focusing on its business and customers — old and new.

“We’re really excited about the acquisition,” Desai said. “I think it’s going to be great for our employees; I think it’s going to be great for our customers; and I think it’s going to be great for Kansas City.”

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

        Natalie and Bill Busch, TiScrubs, with the Royals' Sluggerrr

        With an athletic look and fit, North KC’s TiScrubs aims to be the ‘Nike of scrubs’

        By Tommy Felts | August 22, 2019

        The endurance and durability of TiScrubs help give medical professionals servicing children the air of an athlete stepping onto the field, said Natalie Busch. Founder of the North Kansas City startup, Busch saw the need for updated medical wear when working Team Smile, a nonprofit run by her husband, Bill, which partners with sports teams…

        John Bertrand, Daupler, Techstars Kansas City 2018 Demo Day

        KCRise Fund launches second fund; first investments in backstitch, Bungii, Daupler

        By Tommy Felts | August 21, 2019

        KCRise Fund today announced the launch of its second fund — KCRise Fund II — along with three new investments in high-growth, early-stage Kansas City tech companies. Backstitch, Bungii and Daupler are the latest startups to join the KCRise Fund family, and the first three portfolio companies for the new fund. All three are featured…

        Photo courtesy of Clever Fools

        Spray can inspiration: ‘Streets wear the brand’ for graffiti-influenced Clever Fools

        By Tommy Felts | August 20, 2019

        It’s a brand already plastered across the Crossroads Arts District, skating with increasing reach into the broader Kansas City fashion scene, Clever Fools creator Alex Trinkle said. All courtesy of guerrilla marketing and effectively mysterious social media for the clothing line. “The streets actually wear the brand,” said Trinkle, echoing the brand’s motto. “As in…

        Matt Watson and Matt DeCoursey, Startup Hustle

        Startup Hustle podcast breaks into Apple’s Top 100 with robust guest list of startup icons

        By Tommy Felts | August 20, 2019

        The on-air formula is as simple as the Startup Hustle podcast’s name: Match innovative personalities with compelling startup topics, said Matt DeCoursey, as the guest list count for the popular podcast now soars past 150. “The people we have had on the show — like Sandy Kemper — people like him are really intriguing,” said…