Pistachio was born out of the need to balance inventory tracking with efficiency and simplicity for the volunteers of The Market at Virginia Tech. Managing a university food pantry requires a system that is friendly to people of all technological backgrounds, yet powerful enough to store a varied inventory, and Pistachio acts as a "protective shell" for this critical food security data. The core of the platform is a typical homepage portal where employees and non-technical volunteers can log incoming food by weight, vendor, and program assignment without the need for complex menus or barcode scanning. To address redundant data entry, we implemented a Quick-Stock Increment feature that allows workers to update existing items with a single tap, drastically reducing time spent behind a screen and increasing time spent serving the community.
We decided to name our website Pistachio as it has a syllable that sounds identical to "stash", which defines its purpose as a food pantry stash management system, and used an icon of a pistachio inside a shell for our logo, as pistachios are stored inside a shell, also tying back to the aforementioned purpose of our website.
The technical backbone of Pistachio incorporates Google Cloud tools to automate the "heavy lifting" of inventory management. By integrating Google AI Studio and the Gemini API, we developed a module that allows volunteers to photograph paper invoices; the system then automatically extracts item names, quantities, and costs for seamless logging into our Firebase real-time database. For administrative transparency, the website features a Live View that syncs directly with Google Sheets, providing managers with a familiar interface for auditing and fiscal reporting. Furthermore, the system includes a Sustainability Waste Log to track damaged or expired goods, alongside advanced logic for program transfers and end-of-year rollovers. technology, Pistachio ensures that The Market can focus on its mission of feeding Hokies while we ensure that the inventory and tracking aspects are in good hands.
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