Trofi

Tackling Food Waste with Tech

Inspiration

As students, we often face the struggle of buying expensive meals every day. At the same time, restaurants throw away large amounts of perfectly good food. We wanted to build something that could bridge this gap—making meals more affordable for students while reducing food waste.

What It Does

Our app connects users to nearby restaurants offering leftover food at discounted prices. Users can browse deals in real time, see geolocated vendors on a map, and place quick bids for affordable meals. It’s a win-win: restaurants reduce waste, and users save money.

How We Built It

Frontend: Next.js with a map-based UI for browsing vendors Backend/Data: Supabase for real-time updates and data handling Geolocation: Google Maps for interactive maps and vendor discovery Core Features: Vendor listings, bidding system, and time-limited offers to keep meals fresh

Challenges We Ran Into

The biggest challenge was balancing ambition with limited hackathon time. We wanted real-time data, reliable geolocation, and fresh offers—but implementing all of that in just a few hours required tough prioritization.

What We Learned

Real-time data handling is harder than expected (especially syncing offers reliably) Geolocation and mapping require careful optimization for speed and usability Sustainability tech is all about balance: affordability, accessibility, and practicality

What’s Next

Expanding features like secure payments and loyalty rewards Partnering with local restaurants to pilot real-world use Scaling the bidding system to include cafes, grocery stores, and event caterers