Oxford ‘Keeps It Indie’ with new restaurant app

A new way to order, dine and pay at Uptown restaurants was launched recently through the app Oxbux.

Oxbux allows users to place mobile orders, access exclusive rewards and deals, make contactless payments and close tabs. It currently features Uptown restaurants such as Bodega, Panda Garden Express, Ohana Island Grill, Kofenya Coffee, Oxford Sushi King, Brick House Cafe and Bagel and Deli.

The app is a collaboration between the company Keep It Indie and a Miami University business fraternity Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE), along with Oxford businesses.

Keep It Indie is an independent company run by founder Ross Henry, who graduated from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont as an environmental studies major. Henry decided to launch Oxbux as a feature of Keep It Indie because of the many small businesses in Oxford and college-aged demographic.

“It’s meant for all independent businesses in Oxford,” Henry said. “[The app] allows it [to be] more convenient for businesses to be able to attract new customers, keep existing customers and just have a more affordable software.”

The initial inspiration came from Henry’s desire to find local businesses that residents enjoy, rather than the more popular chains or suggestions on tourist apps.

“The traditional Yelp model is based on travelers going and reading things as they’re traveling,” Henry said. “That’s not really effective because it’s people having their first reaction, whereas I would rather know what the locals are using and the locals love.”

In addition to highlighting the quality of small businesses, Oxbux makes business development more affordable. Typically, restaurant software for larger corporate businesses is more expensive with less return for the company.

Keep It Indie, short for “keep it independent,” aims to make technology more accessible for smaller businesses. It also eliminates transaction, credit card and joining fees. Henry also offers complementary iPhones for businesses who need them to run the application and printers to process mobile orders.

“If you think of Uber Eats and some of these other ones, they don’t really benefit too much from a product … [that is] very expensive,” Henry said. “So this is a business-friendly product.”

Keep It Indie and PSE began working together in the spring 2022 semester. The team developed the app to be specifically tailored to Oxford. Dhruv Dhawan, a senior marketing major, is the project manager with PSE.

“We manage all the on-field work [for Keep It Indie],” Dhawan said. “So onboarding clients, meeting with local businesses, setting up promotions, working with logistics.”

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PSE also works on marketing for Oxbux and the businesses it works with. Along with Keep It Indie, businesses have access to free photoshoots for menus, and social media management can be hired from within PSE.

As project manager, Dhawan also works on a six-person team to promote the app and continuously onboard restaurants. Their marketing work includes TikTok, Instagram reels, posts and stories, plus tabling in Armstrong and at the Phi Delt Gates. Dhawan is also responsible for app development and training for business employees.

Henry and Dhawan are working together to expand Oxbux to feature more businesses. Henry works remotely, and Dhawan handles day-to-day business on-site.

Another feature that Keep It Indie and PSE offer as a part of Oxbux is partnering with a different nonprofit each month. In March, Oxbux worked with Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services (TOPSS).

“We donate a portion of our proceeds too, as well,” Henry said. “That is very key.”

Though recently launched, Oxbux has been receiving around 50 downloads per day. In the future, Henry and Dhawan hope to expand beyond Oxford.

“As this grows into other college towns, we’re going to have an aspect where all the apps interconnect,” Henry said. “Now, as you’re traveling to new areas, you’re able to find the local places that people support.”

hirschr2@miamioh.edu