Introduction:
The goal of the restaurant discovery and reservation app Appetite is to make organizing get-togethers with loved ones easier. The business is now making Appetite available to the whole UK population, with plans to expand to the US and Europe after 14,000 users participated in the app’s beta test.
Toby Green founded Appetite in May 2023. It allows users to book reservations, vote on restaurants, sync calendars, and establish eating group discussions. The app provides users with individualized restaurant and bar recommendations by utilizing artificial intelligence and word-of-mouth recommendations.
Users may share and find restaurant lists and recommendations from friends, followers, and favorite creators using the app’s feed feature. Additionally, users can receive tailored offers on the “For You” tab. In addition to examining each user’s restaurant selections and reservations, Appetite also gathers information from their favorite creators and followers’ tastes to provide individualized recommendations that one could anticipate from a friend.
With the “Groups” function of Appetite, users may establish group conversations in which they can vote on meal alternatives, sync calendars, and receive recommendations from AI that are based on the collective preferences of the group. Furthermore, Appetite has an AI chatbot that goes by the moniker “Pierre Pomme” that uses information about your and your friends’ preferences to suggest bars and restaurants.
According to Green, the 25 to 34 age range is Appetite’s target market because it is thought to reflect foodies who frequently eat out and are receptive to trying new foods. According to Green, the startup’s choice to focus on this demographic is supported by both third-party data and its marketing insights.
Appetite Wants to help You and Your Friends Discover:
Appetite Wants to help You and Your Friends Discover (Image Source: techcrunch.com)
“Going forward, our goal is to grab the interest of the 18–24 age group,” stated Green. We see that video makers, particularly those on TikTok, have a significant influence on the eating patterns of this age group. As we integrate creator-generated video content onto Appetite’s platform, we anticipate that our marketing approaches will be in line with this significant and expanding demographic.
In September, a small group of angel investors, including Sarah Maxwell, Jonathan Grad, Alok Oberoi, and Lisa Tchenguiz, secured a $2 million seed round for Appetite. With the money, the business plans to grow its 17-person team more quickly and hire top personnel for product development, marketing, and strategic alliances.
Regarding the future, Appetite intends to release more features in the upcoming months. The business is presently working on a community function akin to Discord that will let users submit reviews, arrange food-related events, and ask and share tips. By collaborating with its network of prominent foodies and content creators, the company also intends to incorporate video reviews into the site.
Additionally, by enabling unique in-app creator material, Appetite hopes to assist its expanding community of content makers. The business is currently collaborating with a number of influencers, chefs, and celebrities to provide paid content on its app, including customized city itineraries, chef-only recipes, and master classes on cocktail creation.
“Green stated that while our primary goal is currently to expand our user base, we are well aware of the importance of developing an app that attracts daily usage. Consequently, we plan to incorporate gamification elements into the app through various methods. To ensure a broad range of incentives and savings tied to user interaction with gamified features, we are partnering with our strategic allies.”