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Beli: The Social App Redefining How Gen Z Eats Out
In just a few short years, Beli has transformed from a niche food diary app into one of the most influential platforms shaping dining culture today. Founded in 2021 by Judith and Eliot Frost, Beli was born out of the couple’s love for exploring restaurants together in New York and documenting their favorites in notes and Instagram posts. They realized there was no central place to keep these lists organized — so they built one.
Today, Beli has millions of users, more than 75 million restaurant ratings, and a clear foothold among younger diners. Unlike Yelp, the longtime giant of user reviews, Beli is laser-focused on food and driven by community. Its growth isn’t just about technology — it represents a generational shift in how people experience, remember, and share their meals.
From Reviews to Social Identity
Beli is as much a social network as it is a review tool. Users often describe it as a “diary,” a way to catalog their dining lives much like logging books on Goodreads or films on Letterboxd. Since joining Beli in 2023, I’ve logged 518 restaurants, using the app as both a personal record of where I’ve eaten and a way to reflect on the experiences that stand out over time.
This act of logging transforms dining into a form of self-expression. Leaderboards, points, and compatibility scores add a gamified layer, encouraging users to compare tastes and discover connections. In many ways, Beli blurs the line between utility and lifestyle: it’s not just about finding restaurants, it’s about showing who you are through the meals you’ve chosen.
Closing the Gap with Yelp
Despite being less than five years old, Beli’s review volume is already rivaling industry giants. As of September, the app has surpassed 75 million logged restaurant ratings, compared to Yelp’s 83.6 million reviews across all categories during the past three years. The numbers are striking because Yelp’s scope is far broader, covering everything from mechanics to nail salons.
Beli’s focus on restaurants alone makes its rapid growth even more impressive. The app’s traction signals a growing fatigue with traditional star-rating systems, where negative complaints about wait times or background music often overshadow food quality. Instead, Beli positions itself as the dedicated space for diners who are genuinely passionate about eating out — and want to share that passion with peers.
A Platform Built on Community Discovery
Beli’s success also comes from its design as a discovery tool. Its algorithm recommends restaurants based on user preferences and compatibility, working almost like a dating app for food. Users are encouraged to explore neighborhoods they might never otherwise visit, and more than 10% of the app’s audience now lives outside the United States, extending its influence worldwide.
Partnerships have also added functionality. A 2024 integration with OpenTable allows users to make reservations directly through the app, shifting Beli from a social review space into a practical tool for planning nights out. Whether it’s college students eating their way through curated lists or professionals dining out multiple times a week, Beli has become both a compass and a memory keeper for modern food culture.
Redefining What It Means to Be a Foodie
The word “foodie” was once dismissed as pretentious— but on Beli, the identity has been reclaimed and reframed. For Gen Z, calling yourself a foodie is no longer cringe, it’s a badge of belonging. Some, like top reviewer Gary Weller with nearly 8,000 logged meals, use the app to fuel a near-obsessive need to document everything. Others approach it more casually, using Beli as a way to recommend meals to friends or track bucket-list restaurants.
What unites these groups is a shared sense that food is culture. Through Beli, documenting a meal is no longer just about rating it — it’s about storytelling, competition, and self-expression. In this sense, the app has expanded the definition of what it means to dine out: it’s not only consumption, but a performance of taste, identity, and community.
Conclusion
Beli’s rise reflects a broader cultural shift in how younger generations connect with food. It’s no longer just about critics or Michelin stars; it’s about peer-driven documentation, discovery, and digital storytelling. By turning the act of eating into both memory and community, Beli has positioned itself as more than just another review app— it’s the social diary of dining for the 21st century.
<Sources: beliapp.com, The New York Times>
