# Craig Cohen

> Craig Cohen is the co-founder and CEO of Waiter.com, the restaurant-ordering business launched online as World Wide Waiter in December 1995 with Michael Adelberg. A former Sun Microsystems engineer and Stanford MBA graduate, Cohen helped connect early web ordering to restaurant fax workflows and later led expansion announcements for the workplace meal business.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Waiter.com
- **Organizations:** Waiter.com, Sun Microsystems, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
- **Education:** MBA, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Co-founded an early multi-restaurant online ordering service in 1995., Co-inventor of US patent 5,329,405 for variable-length string matching., Led Waiter.com during its Puget Sound expansion and Portland Pedal Power acquisition.

## Career timeline

- **Before 1995** — Worked at Sun Microsystems designing networking products and custom chips.
- **1990-2001** — LinkedIn lists volunteer service as a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
- **1994** — Named co-inventor on US patent 5,329,405, issued July 12, for variable-length string matching.
- **1995** — Co-founded World Wide Waiter with Michael Adelberg; online ordering launched in December.
- **1996** — Described a five-person, savings-and-family-funded company in a February interview.
- **2000** — Identified as Waiter.com president in a December New York Times report.
- **2018** — As CEO, announced completion of Puget Sound expansion begun in 2016.
- **2020** — As CEO, commented on Waiter.com’s acquisition of Portland Pedal Power.

## Achievements

- Co-founded an early multi-restaurant online ordering service in 1995.
- Co-inventor of US patent 5,329,405 for variable-length string matching.
- Led Waiter.com during its Puget Sound expansion and Portland Pedal Power acquisition.

## Latest updates

- **2025-07** — Waiter.com published a history of group food ordering naming Cohen and Michael Adelberg as founders; this is company context, not a new personal announcement.
- **2020-01** — Cohen commented as CEO on the acquisition of Portland Pedal Power, announced January 6.

## Links

- Website: https://www.waiter.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-cohen-4b527

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/craig-cohen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23