Takeout Button, Dr. Cindy Siriwong
It all began one Sunday afternoon while we were out driving. We were hungry and had a craving for some food at our favorite local restaurant. We found an online menu for the restaurant on our smartphone, but when we tried to call them to order ahead of time, no one answered. After several failed attempts we had to give up. We wanted to know why, in these current times, so many restaurants still do not offer online ordering to their customers. Just think, there would be no more busy phone signals, waiting on hold, or trying to get menus listed over the phone. That is when Takeout Button was born.
Dr. Cindy Siriwong is an émigré from Thailand who received a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Connecticut. In 2012 she moved to Clearwater seeking to be a part of the emerging entrepreneurial culture in Pinellas. Only a year later she and a partner (app software specialist) created a startup Smartphone app called Take Out button. Her app allows users to order and pay for their takeout food from restaurant menus all over Pinellas county directly from their phone or tablet.
Since contacting SCORE in 2014, she has absorbed business counseling from Jack Twyford (former SCORE mentor), Ralph Warmack, Bob Turel, William Schaill, Jack Parker, and her current lead SCORE mentor, Dennis Mitchell. Through SCORE’s counseling, she has worked with SBDC, the Entrepreneurial Academy, and SCORE Your Pitch at the Greenhouse; she also sought capital from investors for her business concept at 1 Million Cups. She has already acquired 10 restaurant partners and is on her way to continued success in 2017. She has perseverance, intelligence, and a great personality.
It all began one Sunday afternoon while we were out driving. We were hungry and had a craving for some food at our local favorite restaurant. We managed to find an online menu for the restaurant on our smartphone, but when we tried to call them to order ahead of time, no one answered. After several failed attempts we had to give up. We wanted to know why, in these current times, so many restaurants still do not offer online ordering to their customers. Just think, there would be no more busy phone signals, waiting on hold, or trying to get menus listed over the phone. That is when Takeout Button was born.