SweetSeat

Ryan MacGregor of SweetSeat. / Ryan MacGregor of SweetSeat.
  • Owner:

    Ryan MacGregor

  • Jobs Created:

    15

  • Inception:

    2011

  • Mentor:

    Joseph Yuan

  • Industry:

    Service

  • Location:

    Ottawa, Ontario

  • View Printer Friendly Version
Business Profile

SweetSeat is a smartphone application that provides in-seat merchandise and concession ordering to venues. This enables fans to catch all the action at the event they are attending. Fans can either download the app from their specific app store or use it directly through the SweetSeat website. It allows them to order food, drinks and memorabilia from the comfort of their seat, which is then delivered to their seat. Fans want to see the whole event uninterrupted and avoid long lines, so why not give them what they want. SweetSeat’s ultimate goal is to
bring the suite experience to every seat!

My Story

From bartender to business owner

While bartending at Scotiabank Place for the Ottawa Senators games, Ryan would constantly have friends texting him food and drink orders so they wouldn't have to wait in long concession lines and miss part of the game. As time went on, his list of clients grew and had even started spreading to people he didn't know. It was definitely time to solve this issue in a more practical way that satisfied customer demand.

Ryan never gave much thought to becoming an entrepreneur so when he started SweetSeat, he truly looked for every reason not to become one. For the first four months he did a lot of research and tried to shoot as many holes into the idea as he could. Everyone told Ryan and his team that they believed it was a great concept and were disappointed that they hadn’t though of the idea first. Even with all the positive feedback, it was still a very nerve-wracking task to take on. He still remembers the night that he decided to jump in with both feet. Sitting on the couch with his phone, he thought, “In ten years, do I really want to be sitting at a game, placing an order from my phone via someone else’s service, and say to the guy next to me, you know I thought of this?” Ryan’s answer to that question was a resounding ‘no!’ and SweetSeat was born.

“Even though it can be stressful at times to be an entrepreneur, I feel very proud when I get to say, ‘yeah, that’s my company,’ rather than, ‘that’s the company I work for’ and I absolutely love where I am in my life,” says Ryan.

Advice

It’s all about surrounding yourself with good people. That is one of the most valuable assets you can have. Your idea may be great, but it is very seldom that your idea alone can take you to the top. You need to have the right people who share the same vision. Once that is accomplished, the rest will start to fall into place.”