Chek.com Teams Up With 86.com To Provide Free Web-based E-mail Service

Service to Benefit Foodservice Operators and Distributors

October 10th 2000

BUFFALO, NY – Chek.com, (www.chek.com), an E-Communication Services Provider with a current customer base of over 4 million users, has partnered with 86.com (www.86.com), an e-procurement system and online marketplace for the $376 billion foodservice industry, to offer free web-based e-mail to 86.com users. The service is part of 86.com’s value-added content designed to provide distributors, restaurateurs and non-commercial foodservice operators with the technology and support they need to do business over the Internet.

“Foodservice is one of the last industries to acknowledge the significant time and cost saving benefits of the Web, “ said 86.com CEO Robin Rains, who also owns a restaurant in Washington, D.C. “In addition to our cost-effective technology platform, we are pleased to offer content, tools and services like this that help our customers enhance their operations and increase their profitability.”

“We are thrilled to form a partnership with 86.com,” said George Chamoun, CEO of Chek.com. “Their content-rich site provides those in the foodservice industry an easier and faster option to obtain the necessary items to run their businesses. Adding an e-communication service simply provides another way for site visitors to interact with the marketplace online.”

Subscribers will get a full range of Chek.com’s e-communication services, including filters, online folders for organizing mail, 3MB of disk storage, attachment capabilities and an address book. They will be able to access their e-mail whenever and wherever they sign onto the Web.

In addition to the new e-mail service, 86.com (www.86.com) features online order processing capabilities that enable foodservice operators to purchase food, beverages, equipment and supplies from their local distributors through a single Web interface. Site users will also find local industry news, gossip, forms, articles and buyer’s guides for specific cities and regions. Foodservice industry job seekers will benefit from 86.com’s searchable database of local and nationwide job openings, while culinary professionals will find commodity market reports, dining trends and a searchable database of recipes. Interactive tools and services along with special deals and promotions on foodservice products round out the site and help operators improve operational efficiency.

About 86.com
86.com (www.86.com) is an e-procurement system and online marketplace for the $376 billion foodservice industry. It provides distributors, restaurants, and non-commercial foodservice operators with the technology and support they need to do business over the Internet. The site takes a local, market-by-market approach and creates order out of chaos by streamlining the buying and selling process, increasing efficiency and profitability throughout the foodservice supply chain. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., 86.com is backed by Columbia Capital.