How it started
From the queue, to the app
It started with a simple frustration. Every morning, Mike and Carl would line up at their favourite café in Tauranga — same time, same order, same wait. Five minutes. Sometimes ten. Not terrible, but enough to make you late if the person in front of you decided it was the right moment to try a new order.
We looked for an app that let you order ahead from local cafés. There wasn't one — not for Tauranga, not for Mount Maunganui. The big delivery platforms existed, but they weren't built for the simple act of walking to your regular café and having your coffee ready when you arrive.
So we built express-o.
The idea is simple: browse nearby cafés, place your order on your phone, and walk in when it's ready. No waiting at the counter. No standing around wondering if they've started yet. Just your coffee, ready when you are.
We're building express-o to work for local independent cafés — the kind that make a neighbourhood worth living in. Our model is designed so we only earn when they do, and we're starting small in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui to make sure we get it right before expanding.
express-o is launching in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. If you're a café owner in the Bay of Plenty, we'd love to partner with you. If you're a coffee lover — sign up to the waitlist. We'll see you at the counter. Without the wait.