HoosHungry

Landing page
Landing page - How it works
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Buyer flow
Requesting a meal
Seller flow
(Seller side) Meal exchange details
(Seller side) Updating order status
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Inspiration

We were inspired by how many meal exchanges go unused while other students are still looking for affordable food options. At UVA, this felt like a pretty common problem, so we wanted to build something that could make meal swipes more flexible and useful instead of letting them go to waste.

What it does

HoosHungry is a platform where students can buy and sell meal exchanges. A buyer submits a request for a meal exchange at a price they are willing to pay, and students with extra meal exchanges can choose to accept it. Once accepted, the seller places the order and the buyer confirms pickup.

How we built it

We built HoosHungry with a React frontend, a .NET backend in C#, and Supabase as our database. Our focus was on making the buyer and seller flow feel simple and intuitive. We built out the request system, seller-side acceptance flow, and the core backend logic needed to manage requests, users, and transaction-related data across the platform.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges was figuring out how to make the exchange flow practical and realistic. We had to think through how buyers would submit requests, how sellers would get notified, and how to make the handoff process feel trustworthy and straightforward for both sides.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud that we turned a very real student problem into a solution that feels useful and easy to understand. We were also proud of building a clear buyer and seller experience instead of just a rough idea, and creating something that could genuinely help students save money while reducing wasted meal exchanges.

What we learned

We learned a lot about full stack development and how each part of the stack connects in a real product. Working with React, .NET C#, and Supabase helped us better understand how frontend interactions, backend logic, and database design all need to work together to support a smooth user experience. More importantly, we learned that solving a real problem means thinking beyond just technical functionality and focusing on what would actually make the product practical for students to use.

What's next for HoosHungry

Next, we want to move beyond mocked payments and build out real fund transfers for sellers. That includes integrating Stripe APIs for invoices, connecting bank accounts, and supporting actual withdrawals so sellers can receive real payouts through the platform. We also want to keep improving the user experience and make the product feel seamless enough for real campus use.