PlatePal: A Technology-Driven System for Access to Affordable Home-Cooked Food

ABSTRACT People who are living away from home, such as students and office workers, often struggle to get healthy and affordable food. PG food is usually of poor quality, and cooking daily meals after long hours of work or college is difficult. Many household members, including unemployed men and women who can cook well, lack access to customers and market opportunities. To address this issue, PlatePal is proposed as a cloud-enabled food ordering application that connects students and working professionals with verified home cooks providing fresh, home-cooked meals. The platform uses a secure, role-based system for Students, Chefs, and Administrators, enabling efficient order management, quality control, and trust. Built using a modern full-stack architecture, PlatePal also incorporates AI-based features such as intelligent food search and demand analysis to improve meal discovery and reliability. The system aims to provide affordable food access while creating sustainable income opportunities for local home cooks. Key words: Cloud kitchens, Home-cooked food, AI-based search, Role-based systems, Food delivery , home chefs