If you’ve ever saved a restaurant on TikTok only to forget about it the next time you’re hungry, a new app just solved that problem. Meet “Troodie,” the AI-powered social commerce platform turning foodie content into actual meals, and it’s hitting the scene just in time for National Black Business Month, BlackBusiness.com reports.
The brainchild of Taylor Davis, a proud Howard University alumna, Troodie is the first app to connect influencer posts directly to real restaurant sales. Utilizing new artificial intelligence technology, the platform is set to disrupt the $40 billion restaurant marketing industry by bridging the gap between social buzz and butts in seats.
“I’m so excited to finally introduce Troodie to the world. We built Troodie for travelers and foodies (Troodies) who love to explore new places through food,” Davis shared.
“Unlike solutions where reviews are generic or bookmarked restaurants get lost, Troodie makes discovery more personal, easy to filter, and collaborative. For restaurants, it means being discovered by the right diners at the right moment, turning authentic word-of-mouth into measurable traffic and sales. One of my favorite features is how users can join Communities and share and curate recommendations together. It truly brings the joy of connection through food and travel into one place.”
Launched in Charlotte, North Carolina, Troodie already has more than 70 restaurants and 30 creators in its pipeline. The app allows restaurants to finally see which campaigns actually bring customers through the door, creators to get paid based on real results instead of likes, and diners to easily revisit trusted recommendations. It’s a win-win-win.
Launching Troodie in Charlotte for Davis was a no-brainer, given the city’s rapidly growing food and tech scene.
“Charlotte offers the perfect mix of a vibrant dining scene, a growing tech ecosystem, and a community that supports innovation — especially from Black founders,” explained Davis.
Troodie’s features include sales-based attribution that links campaigns to customer visits, first-party diner data that puts power back in restaurant owners’ hands, and a curated creator marketplace that matches businesses with the right influencers. Add in personalized recommendations and community curation, and suddenly, finding your next go-to spot feels like group-chat magic.
For Davis, the journey is about more than building an app. As one of the few Black women breaking into food tech, she’s proving that representation, innovation, and community can thrive together.
Troodie is available now on iOS in the Apple store. To learn more, visit TroodieApp.com or follow @troodieapp on social media.
Cover photo: Howard University Alumna Launches First AI-Powered App Connecting Social Media to Restaurant Sales/Photo credit: Taylor Davis/Troodie