Whatever you're starved for, find it local.
Food, shops, services, events — all in one neighborhood-owned marketplace built to keep more money in the pockets of the businesses and drivers you already know.
Keep money circulating in the Illinois Valley.
National platforms drain 15–30% of every order out of the local economy. We built Locally Starved on the opposite promise — the smallest fee we can charge, paid to the business owner directly, with 100% of driver tips going to drivers. Every dollar we don't take is a dollar that stays in a neighbor's till.
Merchants keep more
0% commission on our Community tier. Optional paid tiers unlock extras — never a mandatory cut. Marketing Studio, Multi-hat categories, and a Help Hub in every dashboard.
Drivers are treated fairly
Base + mileage + time + 100% of tips. Every number visible before you accept the job.
Neighbors first
Built and run in the Illinois Valley. We answer to the community, not investors on a coast.
About Ricky
Ricky Rodda Parsons built Locally Starved after watching neighbors' favourite spots hand 25% of every order to out-of-state platforms. Locally Starved LLC is registered in Illinois and answers to the Illinois Valley, not to a boardroom on a coast.
Three tiers. Every number published.
Start free forever. Upgrade only when the extras earn their keep. Consumer tips are always 100% yours, on every tier.
Community
Get listed on Locally Starved — always free, forever.
- Public listing & menu
- Live order dashboard
- Bring your own payment provider
- Keep 100% of every order subtotal
- Driver tips go 100% to the driver — never to the platform
Grow
1.5% commission on delivered orders — unlocks growth tools.
- Everything in Community
- Merchant-owned promo codes
- Commission only — never any subscription fee
- Zero delivered orders in a month = $0 owed
- Driver tips still go 100% to the driver
Featured
3% commission on delivered orders — unlocks featured placement + analytics.
- Everything in Grow
- Top-of-feed featured placement
- Analytics: revenue, top items, hourly heatmap
- "Featured" badge on your store card
- Commission only — never any subscription fee
- Zero delivered orders in a month = $0 owed
- Driver tips still go 100% to the driver
Three taps from craving to doorstep.
Browse local
Discover restaurants, shops, services, and events — filtered to your town and time of day.
Order or RSVP
Add to cart, checkout, tip your driver — or hit 'Interested' on a free experience. Merchants use their own payment providers so more money stays local.
Track in real time
Follow orders door-to-door and get notified when the event you saved is about to start.
List for less. Keep more.
We publish our numbers so you can compare. The typical delivery app takes 15–30% of every order. Our Community tier takes 0%, Grow takes 1.5%, Featured tops out at 3% — always opt-in. You own your storefront, your data, and your customer relationships.
- Community tier: 0% commission, forever
- Bring your own payment processor — money goes straight to you
- Kitchen controls: set prep time, pause orders in one tap
- Post ticketed events or free experiences to the community map
Every dollar visible. No small print.
Industry averages come from published merchant agreements of the big national delivery apps. We publish ours because we intend to keep them here.
| What you pay for | Typical delivery app | Locally Starved · Community | Locally Starved · Grow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission on every order | 15–30% of order total | 0% | 1.5% (Grow) / 3% (Featured) |
| Subscription / membership fee | Sometimes bundled — hard to tell | None — never | None — never. Commission only. |
| Menu / storefront fees | Setup + monthly hosting | Free | Free |
| Photography / onboarding | Hundreds up front | Free (you upload) | Free (you upload) |
| Payment processing | ~2.9% + 30¢ (their processor) | Your processor of choice — we don't sit in the middle | Your processor of choice |
| Access to promo codes | Extra add-on | — | Included |
| Access to analytics | Extra add-on | — | Featured tier only |
| Featured placement | Paid ads only | Rotating community picks | Featured tier only |
| Cut of driver tips | Sometimes bundled | 0% — 100% to the driver | 0% — 100% to the driver |
| Kitchen pause / no-advertising when closed | Not standard | One-tap pause hides you from discovery | One-tap pause + auto-schedule |
Numbers reflect publicly available marketplace agreements. If you have a merchant statement showing a different rate for our tiers, we'll match or beat it — send it to hello@locallystarved.com.
Onboarding help & playbooks
Every merchant type has a short guide so you're taking orders inside an hour.
Merchant onboarding walkthrough
Step-by-step from signup to first order accepted. Photos, tips, checklist.
Open guideSetting your kitchen wait time & pausing
When to pause, what customers see, how to re-open in one tap.
Open guideRequesting a quote as a service business
Enable quote requests, reply with a price, collect a deposit.
Open guidePosting events (ticketed or free)
How pinning works, filters, and Facebook-style RSVPs.
Open guideOrdering & delivery
Restaurants & coffee shops
Shops, grocery & gifts
Services & custom work
Bars, venues & event hosts
Accommodations
Drivers
About Locally Starved
Support your neighbors. Eat, shop, and live locally.
Join the Illinois Valley's locally-run marketplace. It only works because we all show up for each other.
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