"When launched two years ago, was the first app for recommending specific dishes at restaurants," CEO Alexa Andrzejewski says. "[But] we didn’t have content."
While a very small percentage of the nearly 2 million people who have downloaded Foodspotting actually take photos, they've documented enough meals to bring the startup's vision of a universal visual menu for restaurants within view. The new iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps focus on improving the experience for browsers.
Users now browse nearby food in a "Pandora for food" format. As they swipe through meals, they can bookmark the dishes they want to try or remove a certain type of dish from their feeds. They can also keep track of dishes they've already tried and see what people they are following recommend nearby.
"Our goal with this app to give people who don’t post photos to still engage," Andrzejewski says.
The new apps also provide a better environment for a core part of Foodspotting's business model: local deals and specials. By bookmarking, hiding and listing meals on the app, users who never take a single photo will still share their tastes with Foodspotting -- and indirectly, its marketers.
