The Wind-Chill Factory is a restaurant in Ticonderoga, New York, serving delivery and takeout to a loyal local community. Founded by Bob Porter, the restaurant has operated with a straightforward philosophy: give customers a reason to order directly, every single time.
Since joining UpMenu in September 2023, The Wind-Chill Factory has built a direct ordering channel that now handles the majority of its online volume, through its own branded mobile app, with no dependency on third-party delivery platforms.
Results
One local restaurant. $386,000 a year. 0% commissions.
Revenue generated in a single year exclusively from direct online orders.
Orders placed directly through the mobile app and website annually — no third-party platforms involved
Saved in one year by avoiding 20% third-party commissions
52% of orders placed via the mobile app and 48% via the website
Solutions
The Wind-Chill Factory built its direct sales channel around a branded mobile app, supported by an online ordering system, loyalty program, and a customer database it owns entirely.
1. Branded mobile app
The restaurant’s own iOS and Android app quickly became the main ordering channel, generating 52% of all orders. Customers browse the menu, place orders, and pay directly — within The Wind-Chill Factory’s own branded experience.
2. Online ordering system and website
The website ordering system captures customers who prefer ordering via browser, giving them the same seamless checkout experience as the app. Both channels feed into one unified panel – orders, reports, and customer data visible in a single place, managed by Bob and his team on a daily basis.
3. Customer database and direct marketing
With 4,234 customers in the database, The Wind-Chill Factory can reach its audience directly without paying for placement on external platforms. The restaurant runs email campaigns from within UpMenu, targeting customers who have already ordered and are most likely to return.
About the restaurant
Name: The Wind-Chill Factory
Location: Ticonderoga, NY, USA
Customer since: 2023
What owner says
Every order through a marketplace is an order you don't own. You don't know who the customer is, and you can't bring them back.
Key Takeaways
- 52% of orders from the app
The branded mobile app became the main sales channel — outperforming any external platform. - $386,000+ in app revenue
Significant revenue generated directly, without paying commissions to third-party marketplaces. - 9,000 orders a year from own channels
Consistent, repeatable volume built entirely outside aggregators. - 4,200+ customers in own database
A real asset — the restaurant can reach its customers anytime, without paying for visibility. - Direct channel = full control
Orders, data, and customer relationships stay fully in the restaurant’s hands. - Simple setup, real scale
One location, one system, no marketing team — yet results comparable to much larger players.
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