About
Arugula Motors builds custom software for local businesses, out of Charleston, South Carolina.
We build custom websites, software, and dashboards for local businesses across Charleston and the Lowcountry. You own what we build, instead of renting it from a big SaaS company every month, forever.
Arugula Motors started with Kevin, who got tired of watching small businesses bleed money to software they would never own. Every build is made to fit the shop it is for, not bent around someone else's software.
We use what we build. White Bread, our point of sale system, runs Caro's, a pop-up pizzeria that doubles as our test kitchen. When something is annoying, we find out the same day our customers would.
Questions
What does Arugula Motors do?
Arugula Motors builds custom websites, software, and dashboards for local businesses in Charleston, South Carolina. You own what we build, instead of renting it from a SaaS company.
Where is Arugula Motors based?
Charleston, South Carolina. We work with local businesses across the Lowcountry, and remotely on software projects anywhere.
What is Beacon?
Beacon gets your business found when customers ask AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google's AI for a recommendation. It covers GEO and AEO, we track your visibility every month, and a daily email shows you when an AI engine sends a visitor to your site. It costs $1,500 to set up and $300 a month, cancel anytime.
What is White Bread?
White Bread is a point of sale system for pizza, sandwich, and counter shops. You pay once and own it, instead of paying Toast every month per terminal. A single shop build is $22,000.
What is Mic?
Mic helps a local business run a podcast and actually keep putting out episodes, which is how you build a following over time. Audio only, done with you or done for you. Tell us what your show would be about and we will send you what it costs.
What is Pigeon?
Pigeon is a newsletter that actually goes out. It ships your newsletter every day on its own, with no expensive monthly platform and no vendor who owns your list. You own it. We run one on Pigeon ourselves, the heist, a daily art newsletter that has gone out every morning.
What else can you build?
Custom tools, dashboards, and sites, built to order and owned by you. On the bench right now: Diary for bookings and reservations, Tab for loyalty and punch cards, and Plot for staff scheduling. If software can fix it, we can build it.
Do I own what you build?
Yes. With our software products you get the source code and full ownership on delivery. No subscriptions, no per terminal fees, no lock-in. Beacon is the exception, since it is an ongoing monthly service.
Who builds it?
Arugula Motors, founded and run by Kevin in Charleston, South Carolina. He builds the software and stands behind every project personally.