the rules.
(short version)

the 3 rules.

Break these and you're off the feed. We're not mean about it, but they exist so eaters can trust the app.

• Live footage only.Every clip is shot in-app, today. No camera roll, no stock, no last month's pad thai.
• If it's posted, it's open.Don't post a drop you can't fulfill. Shop stays open 24h from the clip — close it sooner if you sell out.
• The food is yours.You cooked it, or your kitchen did. No resellers, no ghost brands, no “my cousin made it.”

posting your drop.

A drop is a 15-second vertical clip that opens your shop for 24h. It shows up in the feed for eaters nearby, sorted by distance + how fresh the drop is.

What a good drop looks like:

• One dish, in the pan / on the grill / about to get plated
• Sound on — sizzle sells
• A quick shot of the pickup spot at the end helps a lot
• Caption: what it is, how many portions, anything special (spicier today, last batch, etc.)

answering DMs.

Every order starts as a DM. Eater sees your drop, taps in, asks what's good, you reply. In-chat, they can add items from your menu — the order summary bubble pops up, they hit send, you confirm.

The one rule:

• Reply within ~15 minuteswhile you're open. Food is a now thing — if you ghost, they order from someone else.
• If you step away, tap pause DMson your drop. Eaters see “back in 20min” instead of radio silence.
• Language: talk how you talk. This is a chat with a neighbor, not customer support.

menu, prices, portions.

You set everything. Dishes, prices, portion sizes, add-ons, specials. Change it drop-to-drop if you want to.

• Price in your local currency. Eaters see it converted if needed.
• Write items how you'd say them out loud — “extra spicy pad krapow w/ runny egg” beats “chicken stir-fry deluxe”.
• Cap how many you'll cook today. When you hit it, the shop auto-closes — no disappointed eaters at pickup.

pickup & handoff.

You pick the pickup spot and the window. Eaters see it in chat before they confirm. Keep it simple.

• Pin a location (cart, door, stall, window)
• Tell eaters what to look for — “red umbrella, second cart from the 7-11”
• Set a pickup window per drop — e.g. “ready from 6:30pm, closing 8pm”
• If you offer scoot-it-over, set your own delivery fee. We don't touch it.

safety & hygiene.

FoodBang doesn't inspect kitchens and we don't certify food safety. You're an independent cook — the legal and hygienic responsibility sits with you.

• Follow your local rules for food preparation & sale
• Keep it hot when it's hot, cold when it's cold
• Label obvious allergens in your menu (nuts, shellfish, etc.)
• If an eater asks about ingredients, answer straight. “Not sure” is fine — guessing isn't.

what gets you removed.

Every cook who applies is welcome, and we moderate by hand. These are the things that get you off the platform, usually with one warning first.

• Pre-recorded or reused footage in drops
• Posting a drop when you're not actually cooking
• Reselling food you didn't cook (or your kitchen cooked)
• Ghosting eaters on confirmed orders repeatedly
• Fake reviews, fake engagement, bot behavior
• Anything illegal in your jurisdiction

First strike is usually a DM from a human at FoodBang. Repeat or severe stuff = account closed.

when things go sideways.

FoodBang doesn't hold money, so we don't process refunds. If an eater wants their money back, that conversation is between you and them.

What we can do:

• Step into the DM thread if an eater flags it — we read both sides and give the call
• Hide a drop that's clearly off (wrong food delivered, severe quality issue)
• Remove an eater who's abusive, racist, or a repeat no-show

Being fair to both sides matters. We default to trusting the cook until we see reasons not to.