FOOD FETISH

Hankering for something you can’t put into words? That is exactly what inspired John Kuehl and his co-creators to design Hankr, a smart phone app ideal for anyone passionate about the local food scene who believes a picture is worth a thousand words.

Product

Hankr helps users decide where to eat based on their cravings, connecting them visually to mouthwatering dishes from local restaurants. The free app guides users in dining foodforward. Dishes are listed as nutty, spicy, fruity or comforting with stunning, true-to-life photos directly synced to the restaurant that serves them. First piloted in Milwaukee in January 2015, Hankr went live in Madison last June—and is currently the largest online index of individual dishes at local restaurants.

Passion

A Madison native and a UW graduate in advertising, Kuehl and his partners are focused on restaurants and cafes—trying to connect people with food they’ll love through an unusual visual concept. He’s also glad to be helping businesses thrive by bringing “new customers that otherwise wouldn’t know what not to miss in the current culinary scene.” He considers the app to be “an x-ray vision into a restaurant’s menu.”

Philosophy

Kuehl goes to each location, orders a dish and photographs it just as it is served—providing an accurate representation for restaurants and diners alike. And Hankr developers say it’s the only mobile-based food guide in the Midwest operated as a visually driven dining atlas. With more than 800 dishes featured from 75 restaurants, in Madison and Milwaukee, this growing concept is a seductive sneak peek for foodies looking to sample the latest local flavors.

hankr.info