Spotlight: Preff

What began as a way for Lehigh students to easily manage their dining dollars morphed into a social network focused on “third-space” meeting places in Bethlehem.

Preff, presented as a restaurant discovery app, was designed by computer science and business (CSB) students Jack Cunningham ’21, Will Peracchio ’21, Cameron Cipriano ’21, and computer science major Dom Allen ’20, during their involvement in the Baker Institute’s “Hatchery” idea accelerator.

Preff takes a user’s food preferences and restrictions into account and searches for nearby restaurants with menus that can accommodate an entire group. The app also provides users with special restaurant-offered promotions, such as 10 percent off drinks for every member of a party that checks in for a meal.

Preff features Lehigh staples such as the Goose and Jenny’s Kuali, as well as additional restaurants on the north side of Bethlehem. Cunningham said the team has plans to expand beyond Bethlehem after launching the app.

“Our goal is to create that shared experience in the restaurant space to encourage in-person social interaction,” Cunningham said.

Story by Sam Topp '19