Say hello to Troodie, the Charlotte-headquartered dining and tech startup that’s changing the way restaurants, creators, and diners connect. Founded by Taylor Davis, a Howard University and Cornell MBA alum, Troodie is the first AI-powered social commerce platform that connects influencer content directly to real-world diner behavior. It is set to disrupt the $40 billion restaurant marketing industry, and it’s doing so during National Black Business Month.
Troodie solves one of the restaurant industry’s biggest challenges: knowing what marketing efforts actually drive customers through the door. While restaurants spend billions annually on advertising and influencer campaigns, most are left guessing about the true ROI. Troodie closes that gap by linking creator content to actual customer visits, providing sales-based attribution, first-party diner data, and a curated creator marketplace that matches restaurants with influencers based on audience fit and performance.
“I’m so excited to finally introduce Troodie to the world. We built Troodie for travelers and foodies (Troodies) who love to explore new places through food. Unlike solutions where reviews are generic or bookmarked restaurants get lost, Troodie makes discovery more personal, easy to filter, and collaborative. For restaurants, it means being discovered by the right diners at the right moment, turning authentic word-of-mouth into measurable traffic and sales. One of my favorite features is how users can join Communities and share and curate recommendations together. It truly brings the joy of connection through food and travel into one place,” said Taylor.
At launch, Troodie has already secured over 70 restaurants and 30 creators in its pipeline, creating a dynamic ecosystem where restaurants can finally track which promotions and influencers are bringing in paying customers, the creators can monetize their influence based on measurable results, not just likes or followers, and diners can easily organize and revisit trusted recommendations from voices they follow.
Launching in Charlotte was a strategic decision for Davis, who sees the city as a hub for food innovation, tech growth, and entrepreneurial energy. She adds, “Charlotte offers the perfect mix of a vibrant dining scene, a growing tech ecosystem, and a community that supports innovation — especially from Black founders.”
Key Features of Troodie
• Sales-Based Attribution: Tracks actual customer visits from influencer campaigns.
• First-Party Diner Data: Gives restaurants ownership of valuable marketing insights.
• Creator Marketplace: Matches restaurants with influencers based on performance and audience relevance.
• Personalized Recommendations: Helps diners discover and save restaurants they’ll love.
With Troodie, Davis isn’t just launching an app; she’s opening doors. As one of the few Black women leading a startup in the food-tech space, she’s showing what’s possible when innovation, representation, and community intersect. And she’s starting that journey in Charlotte, a city poised to help her vision reach the national stage.
Troodie is available now on iOS in the Apple store. For more information, visit TroodieApp.com and connect with them on social media @troodieapp.
For press inquiries or media interviews, send your request to candice@candicenicolepr.com
About
Troodie is an AI-powered social commerce platform that connects influencer content to real-world diner sales, helping restaurants understand and maximize the ROI of their marketing efforts. Founded by Charlotte-based entrepreneur Taylor Davis, Troodie empowers restaurants, creators, and diners alike through data-driven insights and personalized recommendations.