SmartBite

SmartBite uses AI to reduce food waste, save money, and provide fresh meals by connecting grocery discounts with real-time alerts and personalized recipes. Eat smarter, waste less!

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SmartBite

What It Does

Have you ever walked into a grocery store and seen shelves full of food about to expire? Or struggled to find affordable, healthy meals in a food desert? SmartBite is here to solve these challenges!

SmartBite is an AI-powered food waste reduction platform that helps grocery stores optimize inventory, reduces waste, and provides consumers with discounted food options along with personalized meal recommendations.

  • For consumers: Get notified in real-time about discounted food near you and receive AI-generated recipes based on what’s available.
  • For retailers: Automatically apply discounts to near-expiry products, reducing waste and increasing sales.
  • For the community: Improve access to fresh food in underserved areas while tackling America’s 80 billion pounds of annual food waste.

Inspiration

Food waste and food insecurity are two sides of the same problem. While 23.5 million people in the U.S. live in food deserts, grocery stores discard millions of pounds of unsold food every year. This disconnect is extremely concerning and we felt that this wasted food could be put to use.

Our team saw an opportunity to bridge this gap as well as help our communities by using AI and automation to redirect surplus food to people who need it most.

SmartBite isn’t just about saving money—it’s about solving a pressing real-world problem with technology.

How We Built It

We divided SmartBite into three key components:

1. The Web Platform (Google Sites + Custom HTML, CSS, JS)

  • Built using Google Sites with custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create an accessible, responsive platform.
  • Integrated Landbot AI chatbot using a JavaScript iframe for meal recommendations.

2. Backend & Automation (Make.com, Google Apps Script, JSON)

  • Make.com automates workflows between components, handling:
    • Real-time grocery price updates based on expiration dates.
    • Chatbot data synchronization to personalize recommendations.
  • Google Apps Script (JavaScript) extends Google Sheets functionality for automated calculations.
  • JSON-based logic in Make.com defines API requests, webhook triggers, and data parsing.

3. Real-Time Notification System (Telegram Bot, Gmail, SMS)

  • Telegram Bot API (Active & Live!) – Notifies users about discounts, food availability, and meal suggestions.
  • Gmail API – Sends email notifications when a price drops or food is nearing expiration.
  • SMS Notifications – Users can opt-in for text alerts via Twilio API.

Accomplishments That We’re Proud Of

✔ Successfully integrated AI-powered meal recommendations using Landbot.
✔ Built a real-time Telegram Bot that notifies users instantly.
✔ Automated grocery price adjustments using Make.com workflows.
✔ Developed a fully functional system that is live and ready to scale.

Truth & Service

SmartBite is designed with a social impact mindset. We aim to:

  • Support underserved communities by making fresh food more accessible.
  • Help grocery stores cut waste while boosting their revenue.
  • Promote sustainability by reducing unnecessary food disposal.

By leveraging AI, automation, and real-time notifications, we are bringing a tech-driven approach to food security.

Business Model

SmartBite operates on a multi-channel revenue model:

Revenue Stream Description
Subscription-Based Premium users get advanced meal planning & SMS alerts.
Pay-Per-Purchase Users can pay for additional services as needed.
Grants & Partnerships Securing funding from sustainability organizations.

Estimated Year 1 Revenue: $75,000
Projected ROI: 38%

Impact

SmartBite isn’t just an idea—it’s an active platform that has the potential to:
✅ Reduce food waste by thousands of pounds per store.
✅ Help millions of people in food deserts access affordable groceries.
✅ Make AI-driven meal planning mainstream and effortless.

With expansion plans into more food deserts and partnerships with delivery services (DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.), SmartBite is scalable and sustainable.

Tech Stack

Backend Tools

  • Make.com (JSON-based automation) – Handles workflows, API calls, and logic processing.
  • Google Apps Script (JavaScript) – Manages backend calculations and data processing.
  • Google Sheets (Structured Database) – Stores food listings, discounts, and user interactions.

Frontend

  • Google Sites – Custom-built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for interactivity.
  • Landbot AI Chatbot – Embedded using JavaScript (iframe integration).

Real-Time Messaging System

  • Telegram Bot API (Active & Running!) – Sends instant notifications to users.
  • Gmail API – Automates email alerts.
  • Twilio SMS (Premium Feature) – Allows users to receive text messages about food deals.

Version Control & Package Management

  • GitHub – Repository management.
  • JSON – Make.com automation logic exported and structured.

Design and User Experience

SmartBite is designed to be:
✔ Simple & Intuitive – Users can find discounts and recipes in a few clicks.
✔ Accessible – Mobile-optimized layout for easy navigation.
✔ Automated – AI-powered chatbot + real-time notifications eliminate manual effort.

Presentation

Check out our pitch deck for a deeper dive into SmartBite’s features and impact!

Future Plans

Turn our AI chatbot into a full LLM using OpenAI API. Expand into more food deserts by increasing grocery store partnerships.
Enhance the AI chatbot with deeper meal customization.
Develop a physical food bank model to complement our digital approach.
Partner with delivery platforms to bring fresh food directly to users.

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