As of this week, there is a new addition to the sharing economy. After Airbnb and CouchSurfing for accommodation and Uber for transport, there is now an app that allows you to have dinner with strangers: Nibblr. The new app will be launched on Monday in Nijmegen.
Original text: Vincent Veerbeek
Translation: Ramadan Hasani
Dining with strangers
Founder Yannick Kampschoer describes the app as a ‘social dining platform’, with which people can meet each other while enjoying a self-made meal. Those who are inclined to show off their cooking skills to the world can invite people over. Those who would rather be lazy than tired can find an unknown chef nearby. ‘We believe that people should make more time in their everyday lives for the people around them, and dinner is the perfect occasion for that’, explains Kampschoer. ‘With the app, users can show when and where they are cooking, what they are going to make, for how many people there is room, and what the price per guest is going to be. People who want to eat can take a look at the app and see what is available in their neighborhood.’ After the dinner people can leave a review on the person with whom they had dinner. ‘It is a kind of social measure, so you can be sure you will join a hospitable chef who is going to cook a tasty meal for you.’
Tasting curiously
The new app is a textbook example of the sharing economy, where the consumer has complete control. ‘Initially we had this idea for a restaurant where you do not have your own table, but where strangers can dine together at large tables’, says Kampschoer. ‘However, because you already have everything at home there is no need for a restaurant, hence the app.’ The concept behind the app is also apparent in the name, derived from the English word “to nibble”. ‘It refers to a unique way of tasting new things, both in regards to food and meeting new people’, explains Kampschoer. ‘We think this is a brand with which people can identify.’
Out together, home together
Now, a year and a half after the idea was first conceived, the app is ready for use. Starting Monday, the developers will promote their platform among students in Nijmegen. This will be done on the campus of Radboud University and at various SSH& complexes. The inventors of Nibblr want to expand to other student cities, including places such as Leiden, Utrecht and Amsterdam. However, for now the focus is on Nijmegen. ‘We want to turn this into a success story, to show what role Nibblr can play in people’s lives.’ While Nibblr primarily targets students, Kampschoer hopes to expand the platform to other demographics. ‘That way we hope to bring together many different kinds of people at the dinner table, who may turn out to have a lot in common.’