The Building Blocks of Business Today: Using Social Media Sites to Create Food Valet

Early last spring, my friends and I went to the mall to catch up over lunch.  One friend was craving Japanese food, so away we went to Koto for a quick meal.  Little did we know, Koto did not serve lunch on Sundays and charged dinner prices, going way outside our budgets as struggling college students.  It wasn't until we were seated that we realized the awkward truth; there was no way we were going to be able to pay.  With that in mind, we had to take the embarrassing "walk of shame" out of the restaurant and expose ourselves as typical underpaid college students.

Why relay this story? Well, whether you have gone through this same scenario, or simply hate having to wonder whether the service and food in a restaurant is worth waiting for, I came up with an idea to take the guessing out of eating, especially in foreign places.  With this idea in mind, I looked toward platforms that would make my idea a reality. Google Glass allows the ultimate ease of access to this information, and an app could translate well to any media platform.  That's when Food Valet was born.




Did that catch your attention? Food Valet is a restaurant concierge service that brings all the information you want to know right to you before ever walking through the front doors.  In the mood for a particular meal? A quick scan of the menu will let you know if it's there. How is the service that night? A live stream of tweets and other social media sites will let you know the news from people already in the restaurant.  How about the wait?  Maybe there is a line of people wrapping around the building, but maybe the wait is only fifteen minutes.  Now, you can know all that from across the street and don't have to decide whether to skip it for another day.

And if you aren't sure where to look for a meal, Food Valet has a solution for that too.

Take a Picture of the street you are on.

Next, Food Valet lets you know the top places to eat in that area.

Scroll through the options, and find a place that offers just what you are looking for.

Then, Food Valet shows you just where that restaurant is located, and you are on your way!  Easy, right?

The key to Food Valet is finding the way to make eating out a fun experience people can share with each other. Love your food? Let the world know.  Maybe someone will see your tweet and decide to give it a shot too. Why spend time worrying you made the wrong choice when you could be enjoying your night out with the people around you.

From this design process, my team and I have learned a lot about the power of social media. In an age of constant information, it isn't enough to have an idea and brainstorm it with a few designers, technicians, and investors.  Now, your idea is supposed to already be making buzz through social media.  You want to go into your pitch saying people are looking forward to using your product and have the testimony to prove it.

Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Steller

When you are able to go before your investors and pitch your idea with conviction, they are going to be more willing to jump on board and stick their necks out to support you.  If you don't believe in your idea and fight to sell your idea, why would anyone go along for the ride?

We believe in Food Valet, and we believe that Food Valet can make a difference.  Hopefully, you agree.  Maybe you need a little more encouragement. Head on over the Food Valet's Twitter or Facebook page, Google + account, Instagram feed, or even Pinterest boards.  Let us know what you think. Better yet, let us know what we need to change.  An idea isn't perfect without input from those using it, and we are waiting to hear just what you think.



Want to see the presentation we put forth in our pitch?  Take a look below:




Don't forget to email us your input at foodvaletapp@gmail.com.