EatStreet is a free, online food ordering service that provides customers with a variety of local options, according to its CEO, Matt Howard. 

He and two other University of Wisconsin graduates founded the company formerly known as UConnect and BadgerBites in 2010. Last year, EatStreet participated in the the startup accelerator gener8tor, which helped the company acquire its initial investments.

Howard explained that EatStreet stands out as a great option for restaurants because it provides an extremely convenient ordering platform.

“Restaurants can receive orders from our online food court, their own customized website or even their Facebook page,” Howard said. “This allows the restaurant to receive orders from wherever a customer might try to order food online.”

Howard revealed the two elements of success for his company have been selecting the right cities and selecting the right restaurants. The cities must have a large population of people ages 18-25 years old; examples are Bloomington, Ind., and Lexington, Ky.

After selecting a city, Howard’s team searches for restaurants that offer delivery services and are located in downtown or campus locations. The company strives to offer a variety of different cuisines, so the consumer has plenty of options.

EatStreet also works to promote business by offering a rewards program, local deals and a charitable element. For each order, EatStreet provides a five percent donation to a local charity of the customer’s choice. In Madison, options include the Dane County Boys & Girls Club, the American Family Children’s Hospital and the Dane County Humane Society.

Howard is hoping to continue expanding the business, and he recently closed a round of funding to facilitate the process. The investments also will be used to strengthen current markets and to further develop the EatStreet platform.