Plates - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Why did you start Plates?

I love good food. When I first arrived in the US forty years ago with no access to authentic food from my homeland, my only way to connect to my native food was dialing the phone. Yes, dialing.  I would spend 4-5 hours just to connect to my mother’s voice if she managed to be home. I know it sounds ancient, but that was the case. At the rate of $60 dollars for 3 minutes filled with echoes due to satellite delays, getting a recipe, a small piece of home, was a treasure hunt.

Beyond being on the trend of the sharing economy upswing, Plates is a platform purpose-built to achieve four main objectives:

1. Reduction of food waste. Today, we waste over $165 Billion dollars of food in the US each year. That number globally stands at $650 Billion dollars.
2. Reduction of hunger. Today, we have over 800 million people that are considered hungry in the world. And yes, we have that in the US too.
3. Improved health. By eating food created from scratch with locally sourced ingredients, you will be healthier. Food heals. If you take better care of your body and what you feed it, you will be healthier and live a longer life.
4. Closer Communities. Healthy neighborhoods need access to a plethora of resources to keep them safe and healthy. We know hunger and food insecurity are a source of constant concern for many families. Building a better social fabric will lead to healthier neighborhoods.

It is with these values in mind we began our journey in August 2017. So many people have given us help and encouragement it is impossible to mention them all. They know who they are! Thank you! Now, I am pleased to share with you what we have built. The Plates platform consists of two unique but integrated experiences; one for the Chef, the other for the Diner.

How does it work?

Chef’s Plates will enable those who love creating and sharing nourishing food to sell.

Sadly, based on the latest Harvard study, this group of people is shrinking. 10 years ago, approximately 15% of Americans either loved or knew how to cook. in 2019, that number decreased by10%! We need to encourage people to share their passion of cooking.

Diner’s Plates will give easy access to people who are eager to find great food prepared by people who love cooking it in a safe, interactive environment. It will provide Diners with the ability to seek and find food cooked with their health needs in mind, starting the basic requirement of it being mindful.

 What does Plates do?

The connection is where the magic happens. Chefs will be rewarded with seeing who enjoys their food. Interacting with a satisfied Diner will be added incentive currently missing from today’s professional Chef’s commercial settings and this will stoke their entrepreneurial verve, free up their talent and make their passion available to people around them. Diners will feel more comfortable becoming adventurous, discovering new ways to access food, and building meaningful connections in their neighborhood. As they travel, Diners will know there is safety and quality assurance built into the Plates platform.

Plates is a global platform for local artisan food lovers where you get to eat food that loves you back. We invite you to come, join this movement. If you love to cook, Plates is for you. If you care what you consume and treat food as a medicine for your body, Plates is for you.

The Plates mobile apps are currently in limited release on the App Store and Google Play. Search Chef’s Plates if you are interested in becoming a Chef or Diner’s Plates to view how to find food.

How long have you been working on this app?

We started in 2017. I went to the market for MVP after a year and then did many POCs and Alpha testing. We are now live on both platforms with the best versions to date.

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

I did, I have a BS and MS in CS!

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

Deciding on the right framework, backend, and front end and well as a right UX/UI. A great idea can only be translated to the public if the interface is done right.

_{Reza Mahdavi}

Reza Mahdavi is the Founder and CEO of MyPlates.io. Besides being an entrepreneur, Reza is an expert in management and sales with years of experience in a wide array of Industries.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

Spotify by far is my favorite App. It is easy to use and requires no thinking. Their AI-based recommendation engine gets to know you without asking any questions. I just love Spotify.

How long have you been working on this app?

We started 2 years ago. Went to the market for MVP after a year and then did many POCs and Alpha testing. We are now live on both platforms.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

We created Plates with a focus on the four pillars I mentioned previously: Individual health, sustainability and reduction of food waste, food security and reduction of hunger, and if we do the last 3 items correctly, we would build a healthy neighborhood and build a healthy social fabric. Health and access to healthy food at the local level is what we wanted to achieve. That is why we have the two Apps: Plates Chef empowers those who love to make food from scratch, including the farmers who make fresh produce. You can join in at no charge. Once food creators have gone through our vetting process they can start posting. They will be able to show off their culinary art and make money. PlatesDiner or consumers will be able to easily locate food items that have been prepared by local artisan cooks and homemakers. Basket of fresh garden selection anyone? Maybe a jar of freshly made jam, or homemade baked bread? Promoting local activity and a healthy neighborhood? These offerings could be for pickup, delivery or dine-in experience. The Diner is charged and the Chef gets paid. This is perfect for micro-enterprise-based food business.

Diners or consumers will be able to easily locate food items that have been prepared by local artisan cooks and homemakers. Basket of fresh garden selection anyone? Maybe a jar of freshly made jam, or homemade baked bread? Promoting local activity and a healthy neighborhood? These offerings could be for pickup, delivery or dine-in experience. The Diner is charged and the Chef gets paid. This is perfect for micro-enterprise based food business.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

We have built this platform to empower the home cooks, homemakers, bakers, and professional chefs all over the world who have a passion for creating great wholesome food. Empowerment is at the heart of what we do and design. We have removed all the pain of running the business, accessing the market by letting the creator create.

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

We have taken two years to make Plates have all that it needs to make small food creators up and running. AI will be able to assist us to make the Diner’s journey easier and make better recommendations. Over time, the app will provide them with more individualized recommendations for the type of person they are while putting health at its core. We have a number of new exciting features that will help the Diner be more informed and ultimately make them conscious of their intake. We will be promoting healthy dietary specific options as we will have more cooks and Chefs joining the platform. There is no fee to join. We are investing in you to start. The only way to reduce the cost of our ever-growing health budget is to eat healthier. Food is medicine and heals.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

Please check our website first. It is www.joinplates.com ; or just download the app from the Apple store Google Play. Search for “Plates Diner” and follow the instructions. Once you have joined Plates, you can start by quickly setting your profile. You will need to enter your credit card information for food items that you need to purchase. Requesting a free meal if they are available, does not need your credit card. Your financial information and profile are stored securely on our financial payment system.

At any stage of the process, should you have any help, you can by either being directed to our FAQ or you can send us an email or contact us to support your on-boarding process.