Eat At Trivandrum launches website and loyalty programme

The group, launched in 2015, invites members to write in or record food reviews

When Arvind Soju, a food devotee, wanted to eat out at a new place, he had two choices: depend on a friend’s review or try it out himself. Tired of unreliable or biased feedback and not keen on going in for trial and error methods all the time, he decided to launch a Facebook page for gourmands living in the capital city. He invited members of the closed group to write in or record reviews of the food they had had at different kinds of food outlets in the city.

“That was four years ago, when I started Eat at Thiruvananthapuram’ on October 24, 2015. At present, we have 1,46,000 (146k) members in the Facebook group and an Instagram base of 30,000 members. And the membership has been limited to residents in Thiruvananthapuram only. It has been an interesting period in which we saw the group step up its activities in different ways,” says Arvind.

Those living in the city discovered new places that were often tucked away in rustic spots while those in the suburbs found it ideal to popularise their menu and diners. As write-ups came pouring in, positive and negative, Arvind sought the help of his friends to coordinate the activities of the group and ensure that everything stayed transparent and cordial. The core team now includes Aslam Kunjumoosa, Anjana Gopakumar and Vinay Sivadass along with Arvind.

Instead of evolving into a page to post an advertisement or food review, the team decided to make it a level playing ground by alerting the proprietor or chef concerned whenever there was a negative review so that both sides could have their say. And it seems to be working as the group moves from strength to strength.

“Such a large group of users does come with its own set of challenges. But we have been able to work together without too many hassles,” he adds.

Moreover, quietly, without any publicity, the group has also been involved in charity work of different kinds and contributed significantly during the difficult days of the floods in 2018 and 2019.

Today, at 4 pm, the group steps up its profile by launching its website and loyalty programme at Park Centre, Technopark.

“This is to broadbase our activities and allow more participants to be involved in the discussions and programmes that we conduct,” says Arvind. Bon Appetit!