Inspiration
We were inspired by the challenges of dining out with dietary restrictions and preferences. Many people struggle to find detailed ingredient information or spend too much time trying to explore restaurant menus. We wanted to create a solution that not only made menu navigation easier but also allowed users to make informed decisions based on their dietary needs.
What We Learned
Throughout this project, we learned the importance of user experience and accessibility. Building a platform that is both intuitive and informative requires thoughtful design, feedback loops, and testing. We also gained valuable insight into how food data is managed and the complexities of working with APIs to integrate restaurant data into our system.
How We Built It
We built our platform using React for the front end and Node.js/Express for the back end, leveraging a MongoDB database to store restaurant information, user preferences, and menu items. We used a combination of Axios for API calls and Passport.js for authentication. By integrating multiple services, we aimed to create a seamless experience from login to order completion.
Challenges We Faced
One of the biggest challenges we faced was managing data consistency across multiple restaurants with varying menu formats. We also had to optimize our API calls to ensure smooth performance even as the data set grew. Another key hurdle was ensuring that our ingredient information was presented clearly without overwhelming users.
Despite these challenges, we’re proud of what we’ve built, and we’re excited to continue refining the platform to make food discovery simpler for everyone.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.