About Us
More than a food review blog.
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Our Organization
A platform for 1) sharing thought-provoking, holistic perspectives on all things food & restaurants and 2) implementing end-to-end strategic initiatives that promote food culture and sustainability.
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Our Purpose
Build a community of foodies who share a passion for transforming the future of food to be more sustainable and engaging
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Our Vision
Become THE trusted thought partner and community platform to shape the future of food, restaurants, and sustainability​
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We have two sides to the same coin: writing and doing.
Writing - fresh perspectives on the food industry, combining a mix of research and firsthand conversations with restauranteurs
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Doing - immersing in end-to-end strategy, operations, and implementation work for food & sustainability organizations
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What we write feeds into what we do, and what we do feeds into what we write.
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Join us along our journey to build the future of the food industry, one plate at a time.
Our Story
Exposure
For as long as I can remember, I've been a devout foodie.
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It started at home, where at a young age, I was fascinated by how my mom worked her wonders when cooking Indian food. I'd try to be the certified little helper around the kitchen, picking up on the small secrets and ages-old traditions that brought these timeless childhood dishes to life. ​
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Beyond cooking, I also enjoyed the restaurant scene. I grew up in a small town in West Virginia, where we had a handful of small, modest restaurants that spotlighted the iconic Southern hospitality. This made me more observant and appreciative of the smallest details when traveling and experiencing different restaurants. I can still remember the first time I went to The Melting Pot, an Indian buffet, and a hibachi style dinner. These hands-on, engaging, social experiences blew my young mind away with art of the possible for a truly authentic and original dining experience.
Curiosity
I became more curious about this budding food & restaurant passion, digging beyond the surface of just enjoying a nice meal out.
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COVID was an inflection point to say the least. We all saw many of our beloved small businesses close, and I remember a handful of near and dear restaurants that defined my childhood and college memories close in the face of tough times. My mind started to buzz with endless questions that sparked an interest to find out more.
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Why are some of these beloved mom-and-pop restaurants that once served such a vibrant community now struggling to keep their doors open? What exactly makes a restaurant "successful" in this modern generation? How can restaurants maintain their traditions and identities while adapting to survive and thrive in a new age?
Answers
Hence, Plate Takes was born.
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I wasn't satisfied with the superficial, clickbait nature of other food review mediums. Here's my attempt to seek these answers in my own style, immersing in the restaurant scene to understand all things food & restaurants.
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I am by no means a certified food critic, restauranteur, or small business owner (at least not yet!). Just a person with a passion for food and a thirst to learn more.
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I've worked with a food startup and consulting company in the past, and I currently work in the corporate strategy space. Over the past year, I've consulted with food sustainability organizations and learned the grassroots problems that these organizations face in working with the community and enacting systemic change. It's been a humbling experience that has taught me about the outside-of-the-box community pillars that hold up strategic initiatives and adjacent food system partners and organizations. As I continue expanding on this knowledge, I seek to bring a holistic business, social, community, and foodie perspective from my past experiences on this foodie journey.
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Join us as we explore fun restaurants, uncover what truly makes a restaurant successful, share our experiences to uplift our beloved restauranteurs, and build a community of like-minded foodies who can share their love food food. Bonus perk: get an insider's scoop on the best food puns.
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Who has an appetite for more?
Our Team
