MonkeyMedia Software

MonkeyMedia Software combines enterprise-grade catering-specific software with strategic support to help restaurant brands transform catering from a fragile side operation into a disciplined, scalable growth engine.

It works on a clear premise: catering is not simply an extension of B2C takeout, it is a fundamentally unique standalone B2B business. While takeout focuses on speed and simplicity, catering demands advance scheduling, bulk production, cross-functional coordination and long-term customer management. Generalist takeout solutions, repurposed POS systems, and food marketplaces were never designed to support that reality at enterprise scale.

“Restaurants leaned on spreadsheets and instinct for years, but catering needs structure,” says Ben Pidduck, CEO. “It behaves like a B2B business, not a walk-in transaction.”

MONKEY treats catering as a high-value revenue stream for restaurants that deserves real process and clear workflows. The catering management platform centralizes ordering, client communication, kitchen production, delivery coordination and back-office reconciliation, helping restaurants gain the control and visibility required to maximize revenue.

Founded over 20 years ago in the back of a deli kitchen, MONKEY pioneered catering technology – well before the recent wave of takeout driven tools entered the space – and continues to shape the forefront of catering technology. As former catering operators themselves, MONKEY has stayed true to its roots, working closely with partners to guide catering program development, smooth operations, and act as a thought partners as they grow. Unlike transaction-based platforms, MONKEY does not take a percentage of orders. With a flat monthly fee, MONKEY is fully aligned to drive its partners’ growth and profitability.

From their humble beginnings, MONKEY now serves numerous major U.S. and Canadian restaurant brands, powering operations in 8,000+ locations and managing $5B+ in catering transactions over the past five years.

A Platform Designed for Scale

MONKEY functions as the central operating layer for every part of a catering operation. Orders are entered into the system from multiple sources. It can be keyed in directly, placed via a branded ordering page on the restaurant’s websites, or received from integrated third-party marketplaces.

It then moves into the operations module, where stores receive clear instructions on preparation, packaging and staging. Pack slips and store-level workflows guide teams through each step.

Production reporting adds another layer of discipline by breaking down full recipes, ingredients, utensils and packaging requirements.

“Teams know how many loaves to thaw, how much produce to pull and how to allocate labor across salad, meat or hot food lines,” says Darrin Winning, COO.

Delivery coordination integrates with partners to ensure on-time fulfillment.

Relationship continuity is managed through a CRM that captures customer profiles, preferences, past orders and points of contact, reducing dependence on third-party marketplaces.

Lead management tools enable sales teams to pursue new accounts and effectively manage ongoing relationships. Brands can also run targeted promotions and catering-specific marketing from inside the system.

Monkey supports the back office as well. Its integrations with POS, accounting and inventory systems keep financial records clean and reduce manual entry. A data insights module rounds out the loop by showing what sells, which stores execute well and where refinement is needed.

Backing the technology is MONKEY’s advisory support. The team recommends menu design, production methods, and best practices for corporate outreach.

The impact is visible in client transformations. The median MONKEY customer more than doubles catering sales within four years of onboarding and typically sees catering EBITDA 20x their investment in MONKEY. Over the past ten years, MONKEY has worked along a major large Mexican food chain, helping them scale catering from a $10 million business to over $150 million (franchisees seeing $15–20K in catering volumes per month per store). A mid-sized sandwich brand increased its revenue from catering from three percent to 15–18 percent after adopting MONKEY.

A Technology Reboot for Scalable Catering

Successful outcomes set the stage for a pivotal chapter in MONKEY’s history. After five years under ezCater – a catering marketplace - MONKEY became fully independent in April 2025. This has allowed to MONKEY team to be a neutral, first-party focused technology partner that helps unlock direct ordering, the most profitable source of catering volume.

Independence also created room for renewed investment across the product stack. Recent releases include a refreshed online ordering site, natural voice AI agents for inbound/outbound customer calls, a revamped guest outreach module, and a new handheld app is on the way for store teams that deliver first-party catering orders themselves.

All these tools align with MONKEY’s mission to help partners run efficiently and sell more. That mandate shaped the first twenty years of the platform. The next twenty will move faster, with more advanced technology and a greater emphasis on intelligent automation.