Showcasing some of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs, as well as an array of corporate and elected leaders and some of the hottest music on the planet, this special event will provide a world-wide platform to celebrate entrepreneurship and startup companies throughout the country.

The evening event, co-sponsored by The Startup America Partnership, SXSW and the Technology Partnership of the Austin Chamber will feature technology leaders including Reid Hoffman, Steve Case, Steve Blank, Brad Feld, Amos Winbush III, and many others. The evening will be second to none. (source)

Hungry zombies can now roam East Village while waiting for a table at burger hotspot Zombie Burger.

The restaurant recently invested in an iPad app that sends text messages to patrons on the wait list, lessening the build up in the hallway during busy times at the themed restaurant. (source)

The Pittsburgh Central Keystone Innovation Zone (PCKIZ) awarded $100K to five promising young companies located in the Uptown section of the Greater Hill District.

The grant funds will assist in patent applications, software and personnel expenses, and general development efforts for the following companies… (source)

When it comes to consumer insights, the rise of the social web has been both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because companies now have an unlimited amount of data about their customers at their fingertips; a curse because they have to figure out a way to sift through all of that data to figure out what's meaningful and what isn't. […]

Take, for example NoWait, a Pittsburgh-based startup that created an app to simplify the process of waiting for a table at a restaurant. Instead of having to tote around one of those clunky pagers that typically only have a range of 50 feet in any direction, all you need to do is provide your cellphone number. When you're table is ready, you get a text. Once you're finished dining, you receive a text asking if you'd like to receive discount offerings from other local restaurants. (source)

Since we last checked in with Uptown-based startup NoWait the company had about 10 restaurants using its customer management platform and was participating in a Michigan business pitch competition. Since then, a lot has happened.

I caught up with CEO Robb Myer last week at AlphaLab for Open Coffee. Since April the team has been busy securing more than 30 restaurant customers and going international with a pizzeria customer north of the border. The company, which is an AlphaLab alum, is in trials with some large chains and if those turn to sales, “it could be really big,” Myer said, without going into more detail. (source)

When Burgatory opened at the Waterworks Mall in January, the restaurant's staff used clipboards to track who needed a table. But the new burger place was slammed, with waits at some points stretching past two hours. "We knew immediately that we needed help," said co-owner Mike Hanley.

Within weeks, the restaurant switched to iPads connected to a system developed by a South Side company that could send texts to customers' cell phones when their table was ready, a change that allows would-be diners to shop or get other chores done instead of being trapped in a line at the restaurant door. (source)

NoWait featured in a video clip about tablet technology at the 2011 National Restaurant Association Show.

 

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Earlier this month, NoWait, a cloud-based seating management service for restaurants, made news by winning the Start-up, Boot-up competition held by managed hosting and Internet infrastructure company Contegix. There were dozens of Internet-based startups that competed, judged based on competitive differentiation, future growth plans, sales strategy, development platform, promise for commercial success or positive social change, and dependence on cloud technology. NoWait, with its cost-effective and low-maintenance reservation solutions for restaurants, was the winner. (source)

NoWait, a company that manages restaurant seating by text message through iPads, has five employees, has received $235,000 in investments and recently won $75,000 in a competition for start-ups. It is used by 13 restaurants in four states. (source)

If you haven't heard of NoWait, you will soon.

Known as the OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN) of casual dining, NoWait is a new site with a big plan.

"We've been vey fortunate," said CEO Robb Myer. "We've raised about $200,000 at the beginning of this year from seed stage institutional investors and some angels from different parts of the country." (source)

In the area of upscale dining, OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN) is very well known. But if you're in the mood for something more casual, where do you turn?

Robb Myer has the answer. As the CEO of NoWait, he knows the market well. (source)

The wait to get into Village Whiskey has been a bit legendary since its opening in 2009. Three-hour waits on Friday nights aren’t uncommon and the smug denial of the hostesses have rankled more than a few.

Now there’s an app to help with that wait. Pittsburgh based NoWait helps hosts and hostesses manage the wait list using text notifications to alert guests that their table is ready. (source)

Contegix, a managed hosting and Internet infrastructure company, today announced NoWait as the winner of the Start-up, Boot-up(TM) competition. NoWait, a cloud-based seating management service for restaurants, is one of dozens of start-up companies that were vying for the more than $75,000 in "Enterprize" technology tools and office space. The Start-Up, Boot-Up competition was created out of Contegix's passion for entrepreneurship and the company's knowledge of the unique challenges in starting a technology business. (source)

EXCERPT:

Other AlphaLab companies are also hitting the road after winning spots in pitch competitions. Four companies connected with the incubator are headed to Detroit at the end of the month to take part in the Funded By Night competition in hopes of taking home a $100,000 convertible note. (source)

Interview with NoWait founder, Robb Myer

Foodservice Daily News: What is NoWait?

Robb Myer: Have you run into this situation? Someone walks into your restaurant, receives their wait time, and then ditches because the wait time is too inconvenient.

NoWait takes the frustration out of the seating process for you and your guests by innovating the waiting process. NoWait creates a digital wait list that notifies guests by text message when their table is ready. This allows guests to "Wait Where they Want" and makes them less likely to ditch their place in line. Through this interface, NoWait creates the opportunity to engage waiting guests with features and specials delivered directly to their mobile phones. Further, you can use NoWait to continuously build a valuable text message marketing list that drives repeat business. (source)

Have you ever got so frustrated waiting for a table at restaurants? Say goodbye to waiting and say hello to "NoWait", a startup company based in Pittsburgh. It's our pleasure to present our email interview with Robb Myer from NoWait. (source)

Join vocalist Jessica Lee & Friends for live rhythm, jazz & blues on Entrepreneurial Thursdays. Musical networking and happy hour hosted at Little E's Jazz & Blues (949 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222) located on the 2nd floor above Mahoney's Restaurant. Cover charge only $5!

Pre-show networking session at 5pm: Information matchmaking for job seekers, employers & new entrepreneurs! Live music starts a 6pm.

"Food & Restaurant Entrepreneurs" will feature interviews with:

• Co-host Robby Myer, CEO - NoWait
• Pat Joyce, Owner - 17th Street Cafe
• Gary Matson, Co-owner - City Oven
• Prentiss Orr, Co-founder - Boyd & Blair Vodka

Listen to the Interview: An Interview Worth "Waiting" For: Ron Talks With Robb Myer and Luke Panza of No Wait

It's a problem we've all faced. You're out and about, and you decide to stop at a restaurant for a bite to eat, only there's a long wait… almost as long a wait as the place two blocks away. Robb Myer and Luke Panza, two young Pittsburgh-area entrepreneurs, have faced that problem before, as well, only they've done something about it…. NoWait, a mobile app that provides real-time wait time information for eateries throughout the region. They join "The American Entrepreneur" Ron Morris to discuss their idea, where they plan on taking this technology next, and why, much like the purpose of their creation, they don't want to wait to do it. And Ralph Minto of the Minto Law Group stops by to discuss the importance of effective asset allocation strategies for your company. (source)

NoWait Founder, Robb Myer, Interviewed for NPR's Changing Gears Series on his Experience starting a tech company in Pittsburgh.

Changing Gears is spending the next few years looking at ways to reinvent the Midwest economy. Today, we kick off our first week-long series: Reinventing Pittsburgh. Once, it was the Steel City, just as Detroit was the Motor City. But while Detroit struggles to find its new identity, Pittsburgh is undergoing an enormous transformation, shifting to an economy that includes technology, medicine, education and yes, steel. (source)

It was Demo Day Friday morning at AlphaLab, where more than 100 people crowded into the South Side incubator to see the first official presentations of the latest cycle of new start-up companies.

The theme of this cycle of companies was social media, specifically developing ways for businesses to capitalize on their followers or fans within existing social networks and how to engage customers in the growing mobile market. (source)