Beli, a restaurant-ranking social media app founded in 2021, rapidly gained popularity at The Emery/Weiner School in January, with at least 30 students joining the platform in just a few days. Previously, the app had little to no presence among Houston youth, making its sudden rise on campus incredibly noticeable to existing users.
Founded in New York City by Harvard alumni Judy Thelen and Eliot Frost, Beli is a food-focused social media platform that allows users to rank restaurants, share recommendations, and connect with friends over dining experiences. Since its launch, the app has accumulated over 75 million restaurant rankings, soaring past Yelp, and continues to grow quickly. Unlike traditional food review apps, Beli’s unique programming is designed to encourage consistent engagement. Users must rank at least ten restaurants before they can see numerical scores or appear in their city’s rankings. As users rate more restaurants in a certain cuisine or neighborhood, the app automatically generates personalized “guides” that users can share with friends. Features like weekly streaks, follower counts, and city leaderboards further incentivize regular use.
Blake Saikin, Emery senior and a new Beli user, expresses his satisfaction with the unique ranking method, sharing that “You don’t have to rank each restaurant individually.” Beli compares previously visited restaurants to the one you’re actively ranking, then automatically creates a rating based on your preferences. Senior Lauren Getz shares that she loves Beli because she “likes seeing her friends’ recommendations.”
Indeed, Beli’s social nature attracts many students like Getz and encourages them to build connections, gain followers, and climb rankings in their city. Users can set goals, search for nearby recommendations, explore curated guides, and view highlights tailored to their past activity, such as “Top Ten of 2025,” or top restaurants in their hometown. As food culture continues to dominate our feeds, Beli’s rapid growth at Emery reflects a broader trend of young people turning dining into a shared, digital experience.
