Inspiration
HalalSpot was inspired by how difficult it still is to find verified halal restaurants using mainstream platforms. We wanted to build the tool we wished existed: a trustworthy, modern, and fast way to discover halal food.
What it does
HalalSpot helps users find halal restaurants through a live map, intelligent search, restaurant pages, and a TikTok-style food video feed. It centralizes discovery, entertainment, and (soon) ordering in one platform tailored for the halal community.
How we built it
We built the backend using Flask, SQLAlchemy, and a structured API system to manage restaurants, reviews, and video data. On the frontend, we used HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Leaflet.js, and Jinja templates to create an interactive map and responsive UI.
Challenges we ran into
We struggled with backend-to-frontend data passing, JSON serialization issues, and layout alignment between the map and restaurant cards. We also encountered server conflicts, feed UI challenges, and database structure adjustments as the project expanded.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We created a fully functional halal restaurant search engine with a clean map UI and dynamic restaurant display. We also developed a working prototype of the TikTok-style feed and built a polished, realistic product from scratch.
What we learned
We learned how to architect a full-stack Flask application and properly structure routes, models, and templates. We also gained experience with map libraries, UX design, debugging, and turning ideas into a real product.
What's next for HalalSpot
We plan to finish the ordering system, build a business dashboard, and develop a recommendation algorithm for the food video feed. Long-term, we want to launch user accounts, a mobile app, and a full monetization model for restaurants and creators.
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