Chowbus is a restaurant technology company that provides various services, primarily focusing on streamlining restaurant operations and enhancing the customer experience. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Chowbus CEO Linxin Wen to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Linxin Wen’s Background
What is Linxin Wen’s background? Wen said:
“I was born and raised in China, and I moved to the U.S. for graduate school. I’ve dreamed of starting my own business since childhood, and my life was profoundly shaped by tech companies like Alibaba during my time in China. This inspiration stayed with me, and while in graduate school, I was constantly searching for what I could build to positively impact people’s lives through technology.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Wen shared:
“Chowbus started as a delivery service for authentic Asian cuisine, especially dishes and ingredients that weren’t typically available through mainstream platforms. I saw firsthand how many mom-and-pop restaurants lacked access to modern technology and tools to grow. That inspired me to build something tailored for them. It began with food delivery but quickly grew into a full-stack restaurant technology platform built around culturally rooted entrepreneurship.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Wen reflected:
“There are a lot of great memories, but I’ll never forget visiting a restaurant that was using our POS system for the first time. The owner was so proud, he told me it finally felt like someone had built technology that understood how his business actually works. Seeing our partners succeed, hire more staff, and open new locations, that’s what keeps me going.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Wen explained:
“We offer an end-to-end restaurant technology platform. Our core products include:
— Point of Sale (POS) system tailored to Asian and other ethnic restaurants
— Saving labor tools: Like Self-ordering kiosks, Tablet & QR Ordering, Delivery Integrations, for example.
— Revenue growth tools: Including Loyalty and CRM tools, Review management, Online ordering, and A Branded App
— Back-kitchen operations: KDS (Kitchen Display System), Employee management, and more.
What sets us apart is that every product is designed to adapt to how these restaurants actually operate.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Wen acknowledged:
“Absolutely. The restaurant industry is still recovering from the pandemic, and independent operators are under a lot of pressure from rising costs, soft consumer spending on dining, and larger chains. Our challenge—and opportunity—has been helping them stay competitive. We’ve overcome this by continuously improving our product based on partner feedback, offering flexible pricing, and ensuring our tools are easy to use, even for operators with limited tech experience.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Wen noted:
“We started with a food delivery app, and today we’re a full-service technology provider. Our tech has evolved to meet the operational, financial, and cultural needs of the restaurants we serve. That includes front-end ordering, like Kiosk, Tablet ordering, back-kitchen operations, like KDS and printer routing and back office systems for employee management.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Wen cited:
— Supporting over 3,000 brands and 9,000 restaurants across the U.S.
— Achieve over 80% market share in many core Asian neighborhoods, like Flushing NYC, and Chicago Chinatown
— Partnering with breakout brands like Chubby Cattle, Jiangnan, and Molly Tea, who broke sales records in their U.S. debut
— Rolling out our refreshed brand and new mission and tagline: “Built for Growth. Rooted in Culture.”
Each of these moments represents growth, not just for us, but for our restaurant partners.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Wen about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“Yes—one that stands out is Molly Tea. Their first U.S. location hit $570,000 in monthly sales shortly after opening, with the second store generating $82,000 in just three days. They’ve credited Chowbus’ ordering and POS tech for making their U.S. expansion smoother and more scalable. That kind of success story is exactly what we aim to enable.”
Funding/Revenue
When asking Wen about the company’s funding and revenue details, he revealed:
“We’ve raised over $120 million from investors including Altos Ventures, Prysm, Left Lane Capital, and others.”
“While we don’t publicly disclose revenue, I can say that we are the fastest-growing POS company in US history.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Wen assessed:
“There are over 122,000 Asian restaurants in the U.S. alone. Our goal is to serve at least 50,000 of them by 2028. But our technology is adaptable beyond Asian cuisine. We see a huge opportunity in helping all culturally rooted restaurants modernize and grow without losing what makes them unique.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Wen affirmed:
“Empathy. We don’t just build tech—we build tech with our restaurant partners in mind. Our team includes people who’ve worked in restaurants, who speak multiple languages, who understand the cultural nuances of our customers. We’re not trying to force a one-size-fits-all model. That, combined with high-touch service and flexible tools, makes a big difference.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Wen emphasized:
“Long-term, we want to be the go-to platform for culturally rooted restaurants everywhere.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Wen concluded:
“Just this: Restaurants are more than businesses—they’re cultural anchors. Our mission is to make sure those stories, those flavors, and those communities aren’t left behind in the tech revolution. That’s what drives Chowbus every day.”
