About Grove
👥 Who Is Grove For?
Consumers of Grove
You trust me -- Andrew Baber.
Maybe you know me in person, maybe you just follow me online, but you know who I am and you know I am sometimes annoyingly obsessed with food.
I built Grove to be a place to note my thoughts on dishes and make those thoughts easy for myself (and anyone else who's interested) to see it. I'm also a "professional" software engineer and I built it big enough to share.
You have your own trusted food resources. It could be family, friends, restaurant reviewers, Instagram content creators, or just some person at the office who actually knows what they're talking about. Your tastes align and you trust that they can identify quality.
Creators of Grove
You go on long rants about food and restaurants.
You invest a lot of effort into finding good food.
People trust you.
"Oh good you're here, we're going to eat well tonight!"
"Do you want to just order for the table like usual?"
"We're going on a trip to MajorMetro - where should we eat?"
"Enough about the spicy chicken sandwiches, can we get through standup please?"
If any of that sounds familiar, welcome home. As much as I love and appreciate the unwashed masses lovely people who abuse this site, you're really what makes it tick. Whether our food preferences align or sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, that diversity is what makes this whole system work.
⚙️ How Grove Works
Dish recommendations are the star here. They're the core of what makes up Grove. They're personal (no right or wrong answer), and combine both subjective ("these fries were too crispy") and objective ("the fries came out cold") observations.
This is a network. It only works if there are solid relationships. Relationships between people and their favorite dishes and relationships between people and their trusted food advisors.
You can use Grove however you want. Right now all profiles are public, but support for private profiles is in the works. If you just want to note your own preferences, great! If you just want to see what other people like so you can find perfect dishes for you, no problem!
🤖 On AI
AI is an integral part of Grove. Currently it's being used to:
- • write and update the site
- • generate temporary images for dishes
- • do research on restaurants
Eventually it will be able to help you easily find the perfect dishes to try, anywhere in the world.
All AI content will be readily identifiable.
🌱 Why Grove?
I've been weirdly into food, well, forever. As a kid, I would make variations of a turkey melt every night for weeks, perfecting my recipe and technique. I'd also craft (virgin) bloody marys, meticulously adjusting the ratios.
Through a winding career in restaurants, food truck consulting, and software engineering, I discovered the importance of connecting deeply with others and how powerfully a shared meal advances that connection.
Grove is a place for people to share (and archive!) their favorite dishes and find others with similar tastes.
🔒 Data Rights & User Control
Data Ownership
You own your personal data and recommendations on Grove.
- ✓ Right to deletion: You may fully erase your data at any time.
- ✓ Encrypted backup option: If you leave but wish to preserve your food journey, we'll securely store it (private key encrypted). Only you can access or restore this data.
- ✓ Nothing is retained without clear, informed consent.
Portability
Your data moves with you.
- ✓ Import historical recommendations, photos, and food memories from elsewhere into Grove.
- ✓ Export all your Grove data—recipes, reviews, photos, connections—whenever you wish.
Consent and Compensation for Photo Usage
- ✓ Your food photos always remain your property.
- ✓ If Grove ever wishes to use your images beyond showing them on the site or what you've explicitly approved, we'll ask permission and provide compensation. No surprises, no silent overreach.
🌐 Platform Openness & Support Structure
APIs, Portability, Extensibility
Grove pledges to remain open — your data isn't siloed. APIs will enable creative integrations; Grove data can augment your personal blog, favorite food sites, or community map projects.
User-Centric Funding
Grove runs on transparency and support from those who value it.
- • Servers, upkeep, ongoing feature development, and direct user service are the priorities.