Just like most college kids, saving money is one of my top priorities, especially on food-related items. Tim Rothwell and Brett Berman unknowingly echoed my sentiments and used this idea as the foundation for their app Hooked, formerly known as UMeTime.
While they were living in LA, the duo was fed up with overpriced food and drinks given their small budget. Subscribing to local daily deal sites in hopes of saving money only flooded their email with unwanted spam. Their solution was to find a way to connect merchants with their customers in real time, fostering relationships that would benefit their business. Thus, UMeTime was born.
Although UMeTime just launched in the fall of 2013, it has garnered over 26,000 downloads and secured its spot as the top trending app for the past 8 months on iTunes. UMeTime has worked with over 50 of the best businesses in the UT area and still remains the top college app in Austin. Despite all of this, it was time for an upgrade.
Photo courtesy of Hooked
With a sleeker and more user-friendly design, Hooked cuts the crap and focuses on the most successful aspect of UMeTime: the Blastouts, or limited time offers from participating food vendors. On the home screen, the newly-named “Hooks” are organized by proximity to the user in real time and are accompanied by beautiful photos, short blurbs and the remaining time left to redeem. All you have to do is click “Get Hooked” to redeem the deal, show the screen to the cashier or waiter and pay directly to the business. And bam! You’ve just saved yourself some serious money.
Photo by Hooked
Photo courtesy of Hooked
Make sure to turn on your phone’s GPS to redeem the Hook since you can only do so if you are inside the restaurant, ensuring the user and business are both protected. Other new features include a map showcasing all of the active Hooks in the area, subscriptions to the Hook of the Day and texting or sharing Hooks via social media with your friends.
Photo courtesy of Hooked
Hooked is the cooler, better-looking sibling of UMeTime. Do yourself a favor and download this bad boy for the latest and greatest food deals around campus. And if you attend the University of Michigan or the University of Wisconsin, keep your eyes peeled because Hooked is coming to you this fall!