Kosher consumers need never be hungry again. Novel new mobile app Kosher Near.Me uses GPS technology that allows you to find kosher restaurants in pretty much any location. Launched in the US last April, the service is now available via the Apple store in the UK, Canada and Australia with Europe, in particular France, also on the agenda.
Software developer Jonathan Myron, who is kosher, felt there was little information available for fellow kosher consumers.
He says: “I had always said that there was no one place for them to go. There were websites with a hotch-potch of information but often, these were out of date. There was no definitive source that understood the nuances of the kosher consumer.”
Mr Myron, 36, who has over 15 years experience in the internet and mobile space, wanted to develop an app and Kosher Near.Me was an opportunity to do it in an industry he understood. It started as a website, LocateKosher.com, but the listings became stale very quickly. Mr Myron decided to introduce his concept to smartphones.
How does it work? Users can download the app for free, tap in their location and be sent all the kosher restaurants within a 10-mile radius. Or you can do a postal search if you want to find a restaurant within a specific area. There is also the option to receive directions to a specific restaurant via the built-in navigation system, and a “click to call” button to make a booking for find out the restaurant’s menu information.
The app relies on user feedback, where diners can rate and review restaurants and suggest new listings. “We have tried to make it as helpful and as interactive as possible. The user community are a key part of how it works.”
LA-based Mr Myron studied political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In 1997, when, he says “the tech industry was heating up” he began working in the internet industry, covering social media, online advertising, telecommunications, property and mobile.
Kosher Near.Me has been downloaded over 10,000 times and the plan, says Mr Myron, is to focus on building the user database. Potential revenue streams include offering restaurants premium services such as enhanced listings — the option to upload photos and their menu, in addition to relevant local advertising. Shwarma anyone?
