Yumola! Fresh Restaurant App Makes for Joyful Lunching

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Simply delicious. Why the heck didn't we think of this? SF-based Allset's just-launched app is made for all manner of busy folk looking for speedy yet enjoyable lunchtime restaurant experiences. In a nutshell, the app cuts out a lot of the usual annoyances that accompany weekday lunching, mostly having to do with cutting down on the waiting. Ya know, waiting to be seated, waiting to order, waiting for your food, waiting for the check. Capisce?

According to Allset, which also just closed a $1.5M round of funding, the app can cut 40 minutes from the typical long-winded mid-day meal. (We totally believe.) So how exactly does the app for iOS and Android work? Hungry users make a reservation, choose the number of diners and select meals. The bill is pre-paid via the app, and there's a $1 service charge per reservation. (Let's see, split four ways that will be 25 cents per person, please.)

Once confirmed, restaurant goers just show up for immediate seating, food ready, no clock-watching necessary. Curious about tipping? It's your choice—do it in the app or go old-school and leave cash at the table.

"Our mission is to free busy workers from their desks at lunchtime," says Stas Matviyenko, CEO, Allset. "On days when we're stressed at the office—that's often when a quick change of scene and the pleasure of a sit-down meal is most beneficial. With Allset, eateries are empowered to provide all the joys of a full restaurant experience, minus the parts that can be stressful when you're in a time crunch: waiting to order and waiting to pay."

Twelve restaurants in SF and Palo Alto (including Prospect, The Monk's Kettle and Arte Ristorante) served as pre-launch guinea pigs. Obvi, the test was successful, and now any restaurant in the US is eligible to use Allset. You know what that means, right? Mangia, and then, promptly, get back to work surfing the interwebs.