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Ver en españolNigerian delivery app for restaurant meals, groceries and pharmacy items, with its own rider network, now also operating in Accra, Ghana.
At a glance
Chowdeck makes money from vendor commissions plus customer delivery, service and surge fees, and sells a Chowpass membership. It delivers restaurant food, supermarket and market groceries and pharmacy products, and has added point-of-sale and finance tools for merchants.
Chowdeck was founded in Lagos in October 2021 and by April 2024 operated in eight Nigerian cities, with Lagos accounting for about 80% of volume.
TechCrunchThe company passed 10 million deliveries in early March 2025 and had cut average delivery time from 41 to 33 minutes.
Techpoint AfricaIn August 2025 Chowdeck raised a USD 9 million Series A led by Novastar Ventures, saying it was profitable and that it reached 1,000 daily orders in Accra within three months of launch.
TechCabalBy November 2025 Chowdeck had crossed one million orders in a single month, with daily orders rising above 40,000.
TechCabalBolt Food left Nigeria in December 2023, citing a need to streamline resources, leaving local players such as Chowdeck with fewer global rivals.
Techpoint AfricaHow they won
What they did, why it worked, and how you can run the same move in one city on a small budget.
01
What they did
Chowdeck built its own network of riders and, early on, sold more than restaurant meals: groceries and pharmacy items sat in the same app. By 2024 it had thousands of riders and over 1,500 active vendors.
Why it worked
Controlling delivery kept times predictable in a city with hard traffic, and several categories gave each rider and customer more orders to work with.
Copy it locally
Start with a small rider pool you schedule and pay yourself, and list a few pharmacies and grocers next to restaurants from launch. More order types per rider shift helps riders earn enough to stay.
02
What they did
Chowdeck automated manual operations so that a team that once needed 24 people ran with two, and cut the time to open a new city from three months to about one week. It says it only enters cities or categories where it can break even within weeks.
Why it worked
Low launch costs let it expand to new cities and to Ghana while staying profitable, as better-funded global rivals pulled out.
Copy it locally
Write a one-page launch checklist for each new neighborhood: vendors to sign, riders to recruit, delivery zones and fees. Automate dispatch and order notifications so one coordinator can run a zone, and set a break-even target before opening the next.
03
What they did
In 2025 Chowdeck acquired Mira, a point-of-sale startup, to give restaurants, supermarkets and pharmacies inventory management, payment processing and financing. Inventory now syncs with delivery orders to cut out-of-stock cancellations.
Why it worked
Tools that vendors use every day make them harder to lose and create revenue beyond delivery commissions.
Copy it locally
Give vendors a simple dashboard to mark items sold out, change prices and see sales reports, at no extra cost. Vendors who manage their menu inside your system are less likely to drop you for a rival.
04
What they did
Chowdeck offers Chowpass, a subscription sold monthly, quarterly or every six months that gives free delivery, lower service fees and discounts from participating vendors once a basket reaches a set minimum.
Why it worked
Members see a clear saving on every qualifying order, which pushes frequent buyers to keep their orders on one app.
Copy it locally
Offer a monthly pass in local currency with free delivery above a minimum basket, and let vendors opt in with a badge on their listing. Set the minimum basket so each member order still covers your rider cost.
Where they are weak
Every giant has blind spots. These are the ones a focused local operator can turn into an advantage.
In February 2026 a Nigerian consumer filed a complaint at the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal alleging that menu prices on Chowdeck were 20% to 50% higher than buying directly and that some fees were non-refundable. These are allegations, but they show customers are sensitive to marked-up menus.
Source: BrandSpur NigeriaTechCrunch reported in 2024 that Chowdeck's take rate was around 24%, combining vendor commissions with customer service, surge and delivery fees. Restaurants that want lower costs or direct customer relationships may prefer a local channel they control.
Source: TechCrunchIn 2024 Lagos made up about 80% of Chowdeck's volume even though it operated in eight cities. Smaller cities likely get less vendor choice and investment, which leaves room for a focused local marketplace.
Source: TechCrunchBuild it with Ordering.co
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Ordering.co is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Chowdeck. Names and trademarks belong to their owners and are used here for commentary and education. Facts come from the public sources listed on this page, checked in October 2026.
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