FODALO

About the Project: FODALO

Inspiration

Food delivery has become too expensive. A simple fast-food order can hit $18–20 once fees and markups pile on. In Detroit’s North End, a dense working-class neighborhood, that’s not realistic for many people.

We asked:

“What if delivery was affordable again?”

That inspired FODALO: a system where every meal is $9.99 all-in — no hidden fees, no gimmicks.

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What We Learned • The biggest customer pain point is affordability, not convenience. • Predictable, flat pricing builds trust. • Batch delivery + surplus pick-up = lower costs without lowering quality. • Scarcity (limited meals, fixed drops) drives urgency instead of frustration.

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How We Built It 1. Customer-Centered UX • Menus that show “20 meals left” create urgency. • Checkout always shows $9.99 all-in — simple, transparent. 2. Math-Driven Economics We modeled every meal as: $$ \text{Revenue per meal} = $9.99 $$ Split into: $$ \text{Restaurant} = $5.00,\quad \text{Driver} \approx $2.00,\quad \text{Platform Margin} = $2.99 $$ This balance sustains affordability while keeping operations viable. 3. Pilot Plan • Launch with 3–5 kitchens in Detroit’s North End. • Goal: 20+ meals per slot as proof of demand. 4. Late-Night Pick-Up • Customers grab surplus meals at $7.99. • Turns food waste into extra value.

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Challenges We Faced • Messaging: We first tried selling restaurant and driver benefits equally, but learned that the customer must stay the hero. • Keeping it simple: Cutting “extras” like round-up donations kept the pitch clearer. • Skepticism: Many assume cheap delivery isn’t possible — showing the math was key.

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Closing

FODALO is not just another delivery app. It’s affordable food, delivered honestly. Starting in Detroit’s North End, we’re proving that if it works here, it can scale anywhere.

Built With

• cursor
• supabase
• swift