[1][2] The parent company closed only a year after launch, leaving Chung, who had previously been an IT executive, to keep the website alive using minimal resources at his home.

[1] In 2007, OpenRice was bought by digital media company JDB Holdings, which has since expanded the site into other Asian regions.

As of March 2014[update], the website operates in Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

[3] Since the website's takeover by JDB Holdings in 2007, OpenRice has been criticised for allowing restaurants to buy advertisements on the site.

In response, OpenRice refutes claims of conflicts of interest, saying that their marketing and editorial teams are separate, and that it does not allow restaurants to influence reviews.