BISTRO PLANET

Bistro Planet, a free app for iOS and Android phones and tablets, offers consumers a way to find new food truck options and pay for food without waiting in line. This is the first food truck-oriented app to launch in the Los Angeles area that offers consumers live updates, a full menu and payment options via a hand-held device. It’s like Uber in a sense. It has a very short sign up, you can browse the menu, order and pay and it saves your credit card information. The Bistro Planet interface may be recognisable to users that are familiar with applications a la Postmates and UberEATS, with the caveat being that the food trucks will not actually deliver the food. Instead, the app will inform consumers whether each food truck is “online” or “offline.” For the trucks listed as “online” and available to accept orders, it will let the user know how far the truck is from their current location. When an order is placed, the app will designate a pick-up time as well as provide a reminder for the user before the food is ready. Consumers love to eat at food trucks, but they are so difficult to find. The app provides the back-end technology that tells the consumer exactly where the food trucks are available and sorts them by the nearest one to you. The company’s food truck owner-facing application, “Bistro Connect,” is an all-encompassing utility platform in which the user can manage transactions and connect with other food trucks and consumers in the area.