Feb 12 2025
Beli
Let’s Make ‘We Should Go There’ Actually Happen
How Beli can use Try Together to turn plans from “someday” to today
Beli isn’t just a restaurant tracking app; it’s a platform that brings foodies together by simplifying restaurant discovery and planning. I LOVE Beli (I’ve run out of invites multiple times and had to request more).
What sets it apart is how it blends the social and practical aspects of dining out, making it a favorite among people who love to explore new places—and I’m clearly not alone in this. I have kept up a 60-week streak, and I know many others who religiously update their Beli as well.
Exporting lists has been a game-changer for me. Whether I’m planning a night out or responding to a friend’s “Where should we go?” question, it takes the stress out of decision-making. With just a few taps, I can share curated suggestions or use my lists as a quick reference—no more wasting time brainstorming ideas. It’s one of the many reasons I encourage everyone to download Beli.
Ultimately, Beli isn’t just about eating out; it’s about turning food exploration into a shared experience, backed by thoughtful tools that users—including me—can’t get enough of.
Turning plans into action
We’ve all been there: scrolling through restaurant reviews, bookmarking spots, and casually telling a friend, “We have to try this place!” But then life happens, and those plans often remain just that—plans.
Beli already lets users discover, share, and bookmark places they want to try. A potential new feature could take those casual “let’s go” moments and transform them into actionable plans. Enter Try Together: the ultimate way to bookmark not just where you want to go, but WHO you want to go with.
The Problem:
A Social Gap in
Food Discovery
Food is inherently social. While Beli embraces this philosophy — connecting you to good friends and delicious food — coordinating meals remains a hassle. Too often, plans get lost in a sea of “maybe” texts and forgotten bookmarks. While Beli’s social features allow you to see common spots, there’s no way to seal the deal and commit to a meal with a specific person (or group).
The Solution:
Try Together
Try Together could address this by letting users create shared bookmarks for places they want to visit with specific friends or groups. Think of it as a digital handshake on dinner plans.
Sending Invites
Scenario 1 — ‘Places you both want to try’
Alex, a passionate foodie, is scrolling through Jamie’s Beli profile. He goes to the section called ‘Places you both want to try’. He sees that Jamie and him both want to try Thai Diner. He realizes he’s finally found someone else who hasn’t been to Thai Diner yet.
He long-presses the listing and an option for ‘Try Together’ appears.
He learns about the feature
through an in-app prompt.
He sends a ‘Try Together’ invite
to Jamie.
Scenario 2 — Creating shared bookmarks
Alex comes across another spot that looks great—a cozy bistro that he thinks his friend Morgan would also love. Instead of leaving it to chance, Alex decides to make it happen.
He bookmarks the bistro and sees the Try Together feature.
He tags Morgan, sending her
a notification.
A pop-up confirms that his Try Together request is on the way.
Inspired by his smooth invites with Jamie and Morgan, Alex decides to gather his foodie crew—Jamie, Morgan, and Taylor—for a group outing to BONDST. From his “Want to Try” list, Alex long-presses the spot, selects “Try Together,” and tags all three friends.
Scenario 3 — Sending group invites
Responding to Invites
For Jamie, Morgan, and Taylor, the process is seamless.
They are notified of Alex’s Try Together request.
They open the app to find the details, including who else is invited.
Each member can see other responses and accept, decline, or add a quick comment.
Plan Management
Alex and his friends’ experience doesn’t stop with sending and receiving invites—it extends into managing and organizing plans seamlessly. Alex, Jamie, Morgan, and Taylor all head to the "Try Together" section on their profiles to keep track of everything.
The Try Together section is split into three separate tabs — ‘Pending’, ‘Accepted’, and ‘Confirmed’.
Pending Plans
Jamie, Morgan, and Taylor can see Alex’s invite until they accept or decline it. Jamie and Morgan accept the invite, and are now able to view it in the ‘accepted’ tab. Taylor notices that he hasn’t responded to Alex’s invite yet. He wants to take some time to decide. He’ll come back to it later. If Taylor doesn’t respond in 30 days, his invite will expire, keeping things tidy.
Accepted Plans
Meanwhile, in the "Accepted" tab, Alex reviews the plans Jamie and Morgan have already agreed to. He selects "Find a Time," and marks his availability for dinner. Since BONDST only serves dinner, the app automatically removes other options like breakfast or lunch, simplifying the process. Jamie and Morgan quickly add their schedules. Alex decides to give Taylor a gentle nudge using the app’s notification feature, prompting him to check his availability. If needed, Alex can add or remove members or even cancel the plan entirely.
Confirmed Plans
With everyone’s schedules aligned, the plan moves to the "Confirmed" tab. Here, Alex locks in the date and time and books a table through Beli’s OpenTable integration. If he decides to add another friend later, the app prompts him to adjust the reservation to match the updated group size. Alex also appreciates the flexibility to reschedule if someone has a last-minute conflict, ensuring the plan stays adaptable.
Host Settings & Control
As the group organizer, Alex takes full control over the plan. By default, only he can cancel the plan or approve rescheduling requests. However, he customizes the settings to allow Jamie to make reservations and Morgan to invite additional friends. These options ensure everyone feels included while maintaining clarity and order.
Managing Sent Requests
Occasionally, Alex checks the app’s settings to see if any invites he’s sent remain unanswered. The app provides a handy overview of all pending requests, along with an option to cancel them. To avoid confusion, if Alex tries to send another invite for the same plan to Taylor, the app replaces the "Send Request" button with a red "Cancel Request" option instead.
Why does this feature matter?
Beli isn’t just about dining out; it’s about making meaningful connections easier to act on.
Enhance Stickiness
Beli is already a favorite for its ability to connect people through food. Try Together takes this a step further by providing a clear path from discovery to action. This strengthens the network effect by encouraging users to involve their friends, creating a cycle of mutual participation and return visits.
Boost Attach Rate
Beli’s integration with OpenTable is already a standout feature, streamlining the booking process. With Try Together, this integration could be leveraged to create additional touchpoints through group reservations and notifications. These interactions could significantly improve attach rates for third-party services, adding value for partners while increasing opportunities for monetization.
Increase Engagement Metrics
Collaborative features like shared bookmarks and group planning enhance engagement metrics, driving more frequent interactions and longer session durations. By making group planning seamless, Beli could boost DAU and reinforce its place in users' routines.
Drive Incremental Revenue
Try Together could introduce opportunities for cross-selling—whether it’s exclusive deals with restaurants, premium features, or group event planning. By aligning with users’ behavior of planning and sharing, Beli could open up additional revenue streams.
Foster Viral Growth
Every Try Together invite is an opportunity to bring more people into Beli’s ecosystem. Each group planning interaction creates a referral loop, encouraging non-users to join Beli and participate in shared plans, naturally growing the user base.
What’s Next?
This feature could eventually expand beyond meals, accommodating bars, bakeries, or other outings. Future enhancements might include syncing calendars, adding group polls for dates, and even suggesting personalized itineraries. Feedback from fellow users could help refine this idea further. Together, we can make every meal unforgettable.
The Bigger Picture
Try Together bridges the gap between intent and action, transforming Beli into not just a restaurant discovery tool but a meal-planning powerhouse. By enabling users to seamlessly coordinate and execute plans, Beli could strengthen its position as the go-to app for foodies while unlocking opportunities for growth, engagement, and monetization.