Bellevue Bites (a nonprofit founded here in Bellevue) shares deals with customers who order directly through restaurant websites in hopes of making food services more accessible to communities, connecting people through food, and acting as a better alternative to third-party delivery apps, which charge extra fees that take profits away from restaurants.

Bellevue High School graduate and founder of Bellevue Bites, Sophie Sajnani, shared, “Starting my nonprofit was difficult, but my belief in the mission helped me push through. Once other restaurants started seeing that mission, I felt even more motivated. I registered the nonprofit and built the website from scratch. As we began gaining traction on the news, I took to social media to continue connecting with my audience.”

Many food delivery services such as Uber Eats charge convenience fees to the restaurants that you can order from on their apps, meaning that these businesses are not receiving as much profit as they could be from the customers who use third-party services. If you order directly from restaurant websites, all the money from your purchase goes straight back to the restaurant that you ordered from, and no extra fees are added. This means that businesses make more money from each online purchase made directly on their site than they do when a third-party site is used.

“Bellevue Bites started during the pandemic when I heard about how Uber Eats and other third-party food apps were taking a large cut of restaurants’ profits through convenience fees. Restaurants were already suffering, and these fees added another burden. I initially developed Bellevue Bites to share deals from local restaurants when customers ordered directly from the restaurant rather than through a third-party app. Now, it serves as a platform for people to discover food events in their area,” Sajnani added.

By including instructions for obtaining restaurant discounts on its website, Bellevue Bites strives to inspire people to stop ordering from third-party sites. “To date, Bellevue Bites has partnered with hundreds of restaurants across the United States and Canada. Right now, we are focused on a new venture to expand Bellevue Bites, and we are currently in the development and funding phase,” said Sajnani.

Bellevue Bites promotes supporting local businesses while addressing the issue of affordability and continues to expand its impact. Not only do they serve our local food organizations, but they have also aided multiple charities nationwide.

“Through my time running Bellevue Bites, I have grown my leadership, business, and technical skills. However, the most valuable thing has been the tangible impact we have had in our communities - we have raised thousands of dollars for restaurants and charities, such as Black Lives Matter,” Sanjnani shared.

Sophie Sajnani is paving the way for other young female entrepreneurs in Bellevue as well as inspiring change in our community with her drive and perseverance to make a difference. She conveyed, “It can feel very daunting to start your own business or organization. My advice is to start with one small step--buy the domain name, design the logo, and write the first page of your business plan. As long as you are taking small steps, you will get to where you want to be, and your potential is limitless!”

Make sure to check out the Bellevue Bites Instagram (@bellevue.bites) to see more of their amazing work!