Tap2Eat: Revolutionizing Campus Dining Guide

Overview

Food-stalls is a mobile application solving the daily struggle of "what to eat?" for university students. It aggregates information about all food stalls on campus, including menus, prices, ratings, and real-time crowd information, helping students make informed dining choices.

Key Features

• Stall Discovery: Map and list view of all food stalls on campus.
• Digital Menus: Up-to-date menus with prices and photos.
• Crowd Meter: Real-time indicators of how busy a stall is (Low, Medium, High).
• Reviews: Student ratings and reviews for dishes and stalls.
• Favorites: Save favorite stalls for quick access.

Technical Architecture

Frontend

React Native delivers a cross-platform mobile experience. NativeWind allows for quick, responsive styling.

Backend

Supabase acts as the backend-as-a-service:

• Database: Stores stall info, menus, and user reviews.
• Real-time: Powers the live crowd updates.
• Auth: Students sign in to leave reviews.

Challenges & Solutions

Crowd Data

Challenge: Getting accurate data on how busy a stall is without expensive sensors. Solution: Implemented a crowdsourcing model (Waze-style) where users at the location can report the queue length, incentivized by points/badges.

Menu Updates

Challenge: Keeping menus current when stall owners change items frequently. Solution: Built a simple "Stall Owner Mode" in the app allowing vendors to quickly snap photos and update prices.

Future Plans

• Pre-ordering: Allow students to order and pay ahead to skip the line.
• Deals: Exclusive discounts for app users.