The Internet changed how we find restaurants. This project preserves the story of one company that helped lead that change in Arizona.
The AZeats History Project was created to preserve the story of one of Arizona's earliest online restaurant guides and document a remarkable period in the history of the commercial World Wide Web.
When AZeats was founded in 1998, the Internet was still in its infancy. Restaurant websites were uncommon, online gift certificates were a new concept, and many people were discovering the World Wide Web for the first time. AZeats helped connect Arizona restaurants with diners through restaurant websites, printable coupons, online gift certificates, virtual tours, email marketing, and other innovations that were ahead of their time.
Like many early Internet companies, much of that history has gradually disappeared. Websites vanished, computers were replaced, photographs were discarded, and business records were lost. Yet the people, ideas, and experiences that shaped those early years remain an important part of Arizona's digital history.
The purpose of this project is to preserve that history before it is lost.
Using original business records, archived websites, photographs, newspaper articles, interviews, and personal recollections, the AZeats History Project is creating a permanent historical archive documenting not only the company itself, but also the restaurants, technology, business relationships, and people who helped shape Arizona's early online dining community.
History is best preserved when it reflects many voices and many perspectives.
If you were connected with AZeats in any way—as a restaurant owner, employee, customer, business partner, advertiser, media representative, or simply someone who remembers those years—I would enjoy hearing from you.
I'm especially interested in preserving:
Every contribution will be carefully reviewed and, when appropriate, incorporated into the historical archive with proper acknowledgment.
Between 1998 and the early 2000s, AZeats worked with hundreds of restaurants and thousands of customers during a time when the Internet was rapidly changing how people discovered local businesses.
Whether your involvement lasted years or only a single visit to the website, your memories may help preserve an important chapter in Arizona's Internet history.
Even if your recollections differ from my own, I would appreciate hearing from you. Historical archives are strongest when they include multiple viewpoints and personal experiences.
If you would like to contribute information, photographs, documents, or memories, please contact:
When writing, please include:
Thank you for helping preserve this history for future generations.
