CONTRIBUTED BY
MARCUS MARSHALL

OPELIKA —

Hometown developer Marcus Marshall Jr. last week announced a major update to an app he created in 2020.

“I’m excited to unveil a preview of the next version of Beary Hungry here in the Opelika and Auburn community before launching state and nationwide,” Marshall said. “Beary Hungry is a food discovery app that helps you decide what to eat when you don’t know, and it’s been completely reengineered. Beary — the app’s mascot — can now use your ‘Taste Buds’ and what’s on the menu at restaurants in town to help decide where you should go and what to eat when you get there.”

BEARY MAKES RESTAURANT ADVERTISING AFFORDABLE AND EFFORTLESS

The new version of Beary Hungry has been built from the ground up to serve two groups: restaurant “goers” and restaurant owners. First and foremost, the food discovery app is made to help anyone easily decide where to eat. As a result, the app has also created a way to make digital advertising affordable and nearly effortless for restaurants of any size. In fact, restaurant owners simply provide their menu, pricing and details about their restaurant.

Then, whenever anyone in the area is hungry for food they serve, Beary can suggest something off their menu that matches the app user’s tastes as the solution. All restaurants in the Opelika and Auburn area are eligible and encouraged to join the app. Details about the onboarding process and locking in early-access pricing for restaurants can be found online.

BEARY HUNGRY PREVIEW NOW AVAILABLE BEFORE OFFICIAL LAUNCH

Restaurant goers living in or visiting the Opelika and Auburn community should know the preview of Beary Hungry will release in stages to anyone with an iOS device. This means app features are being unveiled one at a time and are currently available on iPhone/iPad only.

During each stage of the preview, community members will have an opportunity to download the preview on the Apple App Store, experience the currently released features on their own device and contribute feedback via the app’s Facebook group. Members of the Facebook group called Beary’s Taste Buddies will be the first to receive information about the app. Group members will also have the ability to provide their input about app features and more.

SHARE YOUR TASTE BUDS

Stage 1 of the preview unveils how Beary sets up a person’s Taste Buds. After downloading Beary Hungry Preview from the Apple App Store, users can walk through the Taste Bud setup process, and for fun, Beary will tell them which of the 15 Taste Bud Types their taste buds are most like — similar to Spotify Wrapped or the Myers Briggs Personality Test.

More features of the app, including using your Taste Buds to find food, will preview in the coming months. The fully featured app will officially launch later in the year for free in the App Store.

Everyone in or visiting the Opelika/Auburn area with an iPhone or iPad is encouraged to download Beary Hungry Preview to get an insider look at what is to come. Then, for fun, they may share and compare their Taste Buds to see how well their family and friends know their tastes.

Moreover, all restaurants in the community are encouraged to take advantage of early-access pricing for Beary Hungry — a simple and more cost-effective way to bring customers to their door. Restaurants can instantly get their early access discount by texting “HUNGRY” to 833-456-3393 and begin the quick onboarding process.