Management
CityMint is a quick and convenient way to order food online or from your mobile phone, saving valuable time when ordering so you can spend more of it eating. But where did the idea come from? And who’s behind it? Three friends with busy, on-the-go lifestyles who love good food (and fast) blended their passions and expertise to deliver a piping-hot service.
Frank Kuo - Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer
The Manhattan "L" train raced down the tracks to Williamsburg, Brooklyn well after most people are at home eating dinner. Frank waited impatiently for the Bedford stop, desperately searching the restaurant database in his mind for where to catch a bite tonight. What appetizers did Bonita’s have on Tuesdays? What was on the menu at Fornino's? Frank loved trying new restaurants and dishes, but his schedule didn’t allow him the luxury of looking for new places and calling to check on the special of the day. Why couldn’t he just look up menus and reviews and order on his way home?
His bachelor lifestlyle certainly didn't help either. Though he appreciates a great meal, Frank is not a cook. He was particularly dreading arriving at the restaurant, ordering and then waiting for the food to be prepared. On one of his daily long commutes home, he conceived the idea of putting hundreds of menus on his mobile phone. And while he was at it, everyone else’s phones. And people could order directly from the menu and send in from their phone from wherever they are, so their food would be ready when they arrived close to home.
David Chang – Co-founder, Chief Financial Officer
Frank phoned his cousin, David, and shared the idea. Since childhood, they often spoke of creating and running a company together. With David's high-level financial positions with Kotura and Stamps.com for most of his professional career, he too often worked late into the evenings. Frank and David agreed that giving people the ability to find and order great food quickly, from their mobile phone, would be a hit. David initiated necessary steps for building a company while Frank searched for the right person to help build the technology.
Jason Lee – Chief Technology Officer
When Frank was introduced to Jason through mutual friends, he was working on a mobile phone application for a worldwide bank. Prior to that he had co-founded and ran product development for several life science technology companies. Jason lived and breathed tech. They immediately discussed how Frank, the "foodie", and Jason, "the techie", could bring Frank’s idea to life. Jason, Dave and Frank’s friendship immediately grew "hungry" to build a service of which to be proud.
Why San Francisco?
What city can better appreciate a perfect blend of technology and food? What other town's pride stems from a lack of corporate assembly line food combined with unique restaurants on every street corner? San Francisco is where Frank and David met Jason, where the idea baked, and where CityMint will first begin to let diners spend more time eating, and less time waiting. Additional cities are planned for the near future. Cheers!
