Open Kitchen LLC, a Beverly Hills company, has launched Appetivo. The app is an online marketplace where home cooks can sell their meals to anyone nearby. The announcement came less than a week after California adopted AB 626, a law that opens the door to home-based food businesses.
The app works by location. A user who wants Italian food, for example, can see which home cooks close by are offering that cuisine. At first, orders are for pickup only, so delivery is not part of the launch.
Cooks will not be listed automatically. Appetivo plans a vetting process that includes a site inspection. It will also help home cooks get the permits that AB 626 requires. Because the law takes effect on January 1, 2019, onboarding in the United States had not yet started at launch. The company intends to work with cities on a framework for bringing kitchens on board as the rules roll out.
Tested in Mexico City
The platform is not entirely new. Appetivo has spent about six months in Mexico City. There, lighter regulation let the team test the service with a dozen kitchens.
The business model puts the fee on the buyer. Appetivo will charge a commission of 10 to 15 percent on each order to the consumer, while home cooks pay nothing. The company is self-funded and backed by angel investors.
Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California come first. Steve Voci, the company’s chief business officer, said that building an attractive app is the easy part. The real work, in his view, is signing up kitchens and getting them properly permitted.
Appetivo is entering a new field with company. DishDivvy, another home-cooking platform that had lobbied for AB 626, launched in Los Angeles the week before.
