Closing the gap between students and their communities
The app Kouzina, which functions as an online marketplace for home-cooked meals, launched last week in Guelph. The founder of the app, Nick Amaral, spoke to The Ontarion about how Kouzina will impact University of Guelph students, his hopes to expand it, and his advice to his younger self.
Fiona Cashell: What was the inspiration behind creating the app?
Nick Amaral: Being at university and away from home, there wasn’t a lot of food options. You could either have frozen food, which gets old very quick, or fast food, that is cheap and accessible, or eat at sit down restaurants, which tend to be fairly expensive and time consuming. I wanted to create an alternative that was still relatively cheap with a high-quality meal.
FC: What challenges have you faced so far in getting the app off the ground?
NA: I don’t have a background in computer science and programming, so that was an especially big hurdle to overcome.
FC: What is your ultimate goal for this app?
NA: Definitely expanding beyond universities. I started in Toronto because it’s such a dense area, which makes it easier for picking up meals and has greater variety within smaller areas. I focused on universities because I think it would be very applicable to students who are living away from home, but I can see it going across the country.
FC: How do you think Kouzina will impact the university community?
NA: I think it will not only connect students to one another, but also to the community. It will connect students who have a passion for food to other students, but also to the permanent residents of the Guelph community through sharing food.
FC: Do you have any ideas on how to further extend the app beyond a marketplace?
NA: Delivery is definitely something we would like to offer in the future. I don’t think it will be too difficult to utilize a third party such as Skip the Dishes or Uber Eats.
FC: If you could offer advice to your past self or someone else looking to start an app like this, what would it be?
NA: Just go for it. Given technology nowadays, with so much information readily available, you can learn anything or be connected to people to help you, doesn’t matter where you’re starting from.
Photo by Alora Griffiths/The Ontarion.