Potluck is first and foremost a concept that values building community and collaboration.
How it works
In its abstract form, Potluck aims to ease the mental load of meal planning and the physical labor of grocery shopping, meal prep & cleanup. We do this by connecting families of similar dietary needs to redistribute this labor and build community and new connections around food.
1
Match
Our matching platform takes stock of your household's preferences and dietary needs as you complete your food profile. With a bit of mixing and a dash of luck, our algorithm will whip up a match for you in your local community.
2
Meet
It's not all about luck, it's about community! Here's where the trust gets built. Once we've found your match, it's time to connect in real life. Grab a real bite to eat together at that new restaurant, or share a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop. Re-establishing trust and building connections within our communities is what Potluck is all about.
3
Swap
Here's where the magic happens. Within the Potluck app, you'll agree on the meals you'll each make (we help with the mental load of it all!) You'll batch cook your meal, your Potluck match batch cooks their meal, and you meet up once more to swap! More variety, more community, and more time for meals that matter.
It’s about more than just food; it’s about creating connections and reclaiming time at the dinner table.
Join our pilot in partnership with
Better Life Labs Experiment
Love the concept, but can't wait for the beta?
Us too!
Come experiment with us in the kitchen and in your community as we test out the Potluck concept in our local neighborhoods. We're partnering with the Better Life Labs Experiments at New America and have created quick-start guide for tips on how to join the Potluck!
Jessica: Cincinnati, OH
Joining Potluck has been a game changer for my family. We used to spend hours each week planning meals, shopping, and cooking. Now, I batch cook once, swap with my neighbor, and we both save time and money. It’s also been a wonderful way to connect with others in our community, which we hadn’t really done before."
Michael: Denver, CO
I never realized how much I missed the sense of community until I was introduced to Potluck. Swapping meals with a family at my child's daycare center has not only introduced us to new flavors and dishes from different cultures. I look forward to our meal exchanges each week, and it’s brought a warmth to our neighborhood that wasn’t there before."
Ashley: Raleigh, NC
As a single parent, it’s hard to balance everything, but Potluck has made a huge difference. I don’t have to worry about preparing meals every night, and I love how I’m now part of a small community including some other single moms where we trust and support each other. Plus, my kids are trying new foods I never would have thought to make because I'm not the one that made it!"
Why it works
We think there's a lot to gain by Potlucking.
Here's some food for thought.
01
Save Time, Energy & Money
By focusing on batch cooking fewer instead of individually preparing many, you save precious time and conserve energy spent on prepping, cooking and cleaning up from meals.
And, no more tracking down obscure ingredients for multiple recipes only to have them wilt or expire in the back of the fridge.
02
Build Trust & Community
Saving you time is important, but baking trust and kinship back into our communities is too.
With Potluck, we're taking inspiration from the villages of yesteryear and borrowing the values of communal gathering and care.
Whether it's coordinating a cookbook party, volunteering at your local food banks, or hosting real life potlucks, we are committed to redefining "it takes a village" for our modern era.
03
Expand Your Palate and Your Horizons
Variety is the spice of life! Potluck diversifies your weekly menu rotation and gets you out of that dreaded rut.
Plus, we know you've got great family traditions and not-so-secret recipes to pass along (we see you, Mom-Mom Ethel's famous macaroni and cheese!)
With Potluck, we're inviting you to contribute to building a sense of community by infusing your cultural influences into the meals you swap.
04
Combat Isolation & Loneliness
We've found ourselves in an epidemic of loneliness where 1 in 4 people worldwide are experiencing loneliness. Our public squares where we used to convene have been replaced by our individual homes. The more we retreat into our homes, our phones or ourselves, the more isolated we become.
While technology has exacerbated this sense of loneliness, we have also seen it's potential to be a catalyst for reconnection. We see that potential in the technology we're building at Potluck and we hope you'll join us in rebuilding a sense of community.
Meta-Gallup Study, 2023