Eddie Peloke has a full-time job. A good one, in fact, as technology director for Richmond-based Getloaded.
But Peloke, 38, has the entrepreneurial bug, and since late last year he has been developing a mobile phone application that lets customers browse restaurants. Last week, his startup – Blue Shoe Mobile – added Android phones, which run on a Google-designed software.
In his full-time job, he developed an app for Getloaded.
BizSense spoke with Peloke over the weekend.
Below is an edited transcript.
Richmond BizSense: What’s this about you adding an Android app?
Eddie Peloke: We added the Android version a week ago. That enables us when working with restaurants – like Sticky Rice – to add both iPhone and Android apps. Another thing we’re working on is for food trucks. When we launched the app, it was geared toward restaurants. We didn’t realize how many food trucks there are.
That’s been interesting, because they very much need to have everyone know where they are.
RBS: Who designs these apps?
EP: We do. Some of restaurants have sent in some marketing collateral, but we actually take them, create images, pick colors out, all stuff we pick out off their brand.
RBS: We wrote about you guys in February, but when did you start the company?
EP: In March. But we’ve been working on the product since last November. We did our first one for a food cart in Portland, Oregon.
RBS: Do you have a staff?
EP: Right now it’s myself and a part-time developer in Richmond.
RBS: How many customers do you have?
EP: Twelve. One or two more should come online this week. We are getting our sales force ramped up.
RBS: Are there competitors out there developing similar apps?
EP: One or two other companies are saying the same thing.
RBS: What’s response from restaurateurs?
EP: They love the concept. But we’re finding we need to educate them on what it is and why they need one. A lot of food trucks are already using Twitter and other new technologies. They are ready to go for a mobile app. But some restaurants are trying to get their head around social media. It’s like you are a few steps ahead of them.
They can push out alerts about sales, and there is also a rich stream of data. It can tell them how many orders came in and also tell them where everybody was when they ordered or what people looked at on the menu.
RBS: It seems to me that we are in a phase of development where technology is changing people’s lives, and their routines, faster than businesses know how to respond. For example, nobody I knew had the internet on a phone three or four years ago. Now everybody does.
EP: I am not even sure what mobile apps will look like in two years. Everything may be browser-based again. It’s an interesting era we’re in now.
Aaron Kremer is the BizSense editor. Please send news tips to Editor(at)richmondbizsense.com.
Eddie Peloke has a full-time job. A good one, in fact, as technology director for Richmond-based Getloaded.
But Peloke, 38, has the entrepreneurial bug, and since late last year he has been developing a mobile phone application that lets customers browse restaurants. Last week, his startup – Blue Shoe Mobile – added Android phones, which run on a Google-designed software.
In his full-time job, he developed an app for Getloaded.
BizSense spoke with Peloke over the weekend.
Below is an edited transcript.
Richmond BizSense: What’s this about you adding an Android app?
Eddie Peloke: We added the Android version a week ago. That enables us when working with restaurants – like Sticky Rice – to add both iPhone and Android apps. Another thing we’re working on is for food trucks. When we launched the app, it was geared toward restaurants. We didn’t realize how many food trucks there are.
That’s been interesting, because they very much need to have everyone know where they are.
RBS: Who designs these apps?
EP: We do. Some of restaurants have sent in some marketing collateral, but we actually take them, create images, pick colors out, all stuff we pick out off their brand.
RBS: We wrote about you guys in February, but when did you start the company?
EP: In March. But we’ve been working on the product since last November. We did our first one for a food cart in Portland, Oregon.
RBS: Do you have a staff?
EP: Right now it’s myself and a part-time developer in Richmond.
RBS: How many customers do you have?
EP: Twelve. One or two more should come online this week. We are getting our sales force ramped up.
RBS: Are there competitors out there developing similar apps?
EP: One or two other companies are saying the same thing.
RBS: What’s response from restaurateurs?
EP: They love the concept. But we’re finding we need to educate them on what it is and why they need one. A lot of food trucks are already using Twitter and other new technologies. They are ready to go for a mobile app. But some restaurants are trying to get their head around social media. It’s like you are a few steps ahead of them.
They can push out alerts about sales, and there is also a rich stream of data. It can tell them how many orders came in and also tell them where everybody was when they ordered or what people looked at on the menu.
RBS: It seems to me that we are in a phase of development where technology is changing people’s lives, and their routines, faster than businesses know how to respond. For example, nobody I knew had the internet on a phone three or four years ago. Now everybody does.
EP: I am not even sure what mobile apps will look like in two years. Everything may be browser-based again. It’s an interesting era we’re in now.
Aaron Kremer is the BizSense editor. Please send news tips to Editor(at)richmondbizsense.com.
Way to go Eddie. Great seeing your entrepreniurial spirit and success….Bob
Glad to hear about progress on the android app Eddie – I’ll be sure to check it out.
Would love to have an app that would ‘pop up’ all the apps for Richmond Restaurants (or at least for the ones that are your clients). I use an iPod Touch. Kids use iPhones. If I had such an app, then I could view restaurants that I don’t know as well as those that I frequent. Thanks and best of luck.