For restaurant owners, online reviews can feel like a double-edged sword. A glowing five-star review can attract new customers, while a single negative experience can live online for years. But what if there was a better way for guests to share honest feedback before heading to Google or Yelp?
That’s the idea behind Twocents, a New Jersey-based startup created by longtime friends and entrepreneurs Tom Strollo, Drew Weaver, and fellow co-founder Vishal Parikh, the product engineer who helped transform the founders’ idea into a working customer engagement platform.
The APP gives customers a simple way to share private feedback directly with businesses while allowing owners to engage with guests, improve operations, and drive more 5-star Google reviews.
Born From Real Customer Frustrations
The idea for Twocents began during weekend runs through their hometown of Montclair.
Both founders found themselves repeatedly talking about experiences at local businesses—some great, some not so great—but realized they rarely shared that feedback with the business itself.
“We realized we had lots of opinions about places we visited, but we almost never told the businesses,” Weaver explained. “We also weren’t posting online reviews.”
One story that helped inspire the platform involved a neighborhood bagel shop where a bagel was accidentally dropped on the floor before being served. While it wasn’t a major incident, it left Strollo wondering whether he should leave a negative review.
“I didn’t want to hurt a local business, so I didn’t leave a review,” he said. “But I also never went back.”
Weaver had a similar experience at a restaurant near his home.
“The food was great, but the lighting was so bright it felt like a dentist’s office,” he said. “My wife and I never returned, and the restaurant never knew why.”
Those experiences led to a bigger question: How many customers quietly stop visiting businesses without ever explaining why?
Building the Platform
While Strollo and Weaver developed the concept during weekend runs and conversations about local businesses, turning that vision into a functioning app required another key member of the founding team.
Longtime technology executive and product engineer Vishal Parikh joined the company as the third co-founder, leading much of the platform’s development.
Together, the three founders bring backgrounds in technology, digital media, product development, and hospitality—an experience mix they believe positions Twocents to reshape how businesses and customers communicate.
Tapping Into the Silent Majority
According to the founders, most customers read reviews but never write them.
“Nine out of ten people don’t post online reviews,” Weaver said. “The majority of us have experiences and opinions that businesses never hear.”
Twocents was built to capture that missing feedback.
Customers can submit comments directly to a business through the app anonymously. Businesses receive feedback privately and can respond to it, acknowledge it, or use it to improve operations.
The goal isn’t to replace online reviews, the founders say. Instead, it’s to create a separate channel for conversations that don’t necessarily belong in a public forum.
“Not every conversation has to happen online,” Strollo said.
A Tool Designed for Restaurants and Beyond
While restaurants have become one of the platform’s most active categories, Twocents isn’t limited to food businesses.
The app can be used by hotels, salons, gyms, retailers, and virtually any customer-facing business.
One feature that makes the platform unique is that consumers can leave feedback on any business, whether or not that business has signed up for Twocents.
When feedback is submitted for a new business, the Twocents team reaches out directly to introduce the platform and deliver the customer’s comments.
“It’s a consumer-driven growth model,” Weaver said. “We wanted a way to help businesses discover the platform organically.”
Turning Feedback Into Loyalty
Beyond collecting feedback, the founders see Twocents as a customer engagement platform.
Businesses can respond directly to guests, acknowledge concerns, and even offer incentives that encourage customers to return.
The company has also built AI-powered tools that help business owners quickly respond to feedback in their own voice, summarize trends, and identify opportunities for improvement.
For restaurant owners who often struggle to gather honest guest feedback, the platform can provide insights they might otherwise miss.
One restaurant owner described Twocents as being “my eyes and ears when I’m not in the restaurant.”
The platform also allows businesses to recognize positive employee feedback, helping managers celebrate standout servers, bartenders, and team members.
“Twocents has been invaluable for guest engagement and driving repeat visits,” said Luck Sarabhayavanija, CEO of Montclair Hospitality Group, known for Ani Ramen and MM by Morimoto. “The team at twocents is constantly innovating and driving value for our business and our guests.”
Rewards for Customers
Customers aren’t just helping businesses improve—they can also earn rewards.
Users receive points for providing feedback, which can be redeemed for gift cards and dining-related offers. The company has also partnered with dining rewards platform InKind to provide additional restaurant incentives.
Future plans include location-specific rewards offered directly by participating businesses, such as discounts on future visits or complimentary menu items.
The goal is simple: reward guests for helping local businesses succeed.
“Twocents is the only app where I can do something helpful for my community while getting something back for it,” said Mary Kate Schmermund, a Twocents member. “It’s so much fun to use. It’s local. And it actually works and has an impact on places I care about.”
Growing From New Jersey to New York
Twocents launched in New Jersey and has gained traction with restaurants and local businesses throughout North Jersey. The founders recently began expanding into New York City, where customer feedback is coming in even faster.
“We’re proud that we started this in New Jersey,” Strollo said. “Montclair was the perfect place to incubate the idea.”
The company recently completed a friends-and-family fundraising round and is currently raising additional capital to fuel its expansion.
For founders Tom Strollo, Drew Weaver, and Vishal Parikh, the mission remains focused on helping local businesses thrive by creating more meaningful conversations between businesses and their customers.
“We want to improve the places around us,” Weaver said. “If customers can share feedback and businesses can act on it, everybody wins.”
