Source: Times of Israel
The “What’s Kosher” (Ma Kasher) app is in its beginning stages, starting out in only Israel and in Hebrew, but it aims to be the go-to world guide for those looking for kosher restaurants, cafes, fast-food places, markets – and even fruit and vegetable vendors that will supply them with produce up to their standards of kashrut, an especially important issue this year.
What’s Kosher has been downloaded over 10,000 times in its first four months on the market, said Nissim Edry, CEO of Afik Pirsum, the company behind the app. Most of the downloads are in Israel, because the app is only available in Hebrew in the Israeli App Store.
That could change in the coming weeks, as the company has petitioned Apple to include What’s Kosher in other App Stores in the US and Europe. It’s also accessible for Android users around the world on Google Play, and word is getting out to visitors and tourists, who have been downloading the app for use when they visit Israel. The development team is also working on foreign language versions, including English, French and Spanish, so users who don’t know Hebrew will be able to benefit. They are also building up a database of kosher restaurants in the US and Europe, which will be included in the Hebrew version of What’s Kosher, for traveling Israelis seeking a kosher meal.
What’s Kosher works like a dozen other similar restaurant navigation apps. Using a smartphone’s geolocation services, the app shows you your location on a map and lists the kosher establishments in the area, classified by type of cuisine, price, menu (dairy or meat), level of kashrut — “regular” or glatt kosher/mehadrin, with certain extra strictures on the type of food served. Once a user finds a place they’re interested in, they can get directions via Waze or Google Maps. A click of a button opens up the navigation app and shows driving and/or walking directions, and there are also links to phone numbers, websites, reservation systems, and on-line menus.
See more at the Times of Israel.