The Light Bulb Moment

A dinner party can offer a unique opportunity where we connect with others on a deeper level and create unforgettable memories that will linger in our hearts for years to come. It's a rare occasion where we can take a break from our hectic and chaotic lives to simply indulge in a moment around food and meaningful conversation. We get to explore new and exciting flavors that tantalize senses and feelings that spark our minds to further our curiosity. It's an experience that brings us closer to loved ones and reminds us of the beauty and significance of human connection.

Food is more than just sustenance for our bodies. It's a universal language that breaks cultural and social barriers, uniting people from all walks of life. From the aroma of garlic sizzling in a pan to the first bite of a perfectly grilled steak, food is the superpower of the world. It's a catalyst for health, connection and community-building, a reminder of home, family and arguably a source of pure joy and delight.

The light bulb moment was when Ryan Reisdorf noticed how Airbnbs weren’t being utilized fully. He realized the kitchens were being used for cold beverages and frozen pizzas, not much else. There it was, an opportunity to connect culinary talent with a feel-good meal experience in an open kitchen. The Placemat platform was the connection to convenient, healthy and delicious food experiences made from start to finish in the home.

On April 14th, 2017, Ryan Reisdorf walked into a strangers home with his roommate and only an idea of how “Placemat” was going to go. No concrete plan, but just a vision. To note this first Placemat experience came after some hustle. As Ryan sat in his nursing classes he always had a tab open for Airbnb. He sat there intermittently listening to his professors and lectures, spamming 160 Airbnb hosts posing as a prospective Airbnb guest. This wasn't just a normal inquiry, Ryan found a hole in Airbnb’s booking process. This was a sales proposition to the Airbnb host with one goal in mind, to enhance their guests' experience with a prepared meal in the Airbnb and to offer a kickback for any confirmed booking for the solicitation of the Placemat experience.

As an Airbnb host back in 2017 your responsiveness was used as a metric to your overall rating. Ryan and Placemat hit the lottery here. As a host you had to respond within 24 hours or else.

After copying and pasting 160 messages, Ryan got all but 1 response. From there phone calls and meetings were set up to further explain the process and how it worked. Additionally, there were responses like “DO NOT SOLICIT YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH AIRBNB”, “I AM GOING TO REPORT YOU!” or “GET LOST”. All responses were documented in the back of Ryan’s Five Star Nursing 201 notebook at the time.

But one meeting made it all happen on April 11th, 2017. It was at Frothy Monkey in the 12 South neighborhood of Nashville. Ryan met two business partners, Donald Jenkins and Nicholas Weir, who happened to own and manage not just one, but several properties in the Nashville area. There Ryan explained Placemat in more depth, but with nothing to actually back it up. Just a vision, hacked-together website and a dream of what it could be. The conversation concluded with “We will be in touch.”

A short few days later the phone rang. “Hey, is Placemat available on Friday for dinner for 14?”

Ryan and Placemat had to get back to them because there was no Chef! Placemat was Ryan and his roommate still chewing on the Placemat idea.

“I’ll call you back. We’re already booked, but let me see if we can make something work!”

All in all, Ryan and his roommate at the time made it happen and shuffled things around their schedules. There they were, knocking on the door of a party who was taking a big ole chance on Placemat. In tow with a couple brown bags of groceries from Whole Foods they began prepping and simply shooting from the hip, making the only things they knew how to make at the time. Kale Salad, Almond Flour Crust Pizzas and Gluten and Dairy-free Ice Cream Sandwiches.

As the night progressed the guests were blown away by the seamlessness, ease, the action and the food.

“Are you guys available tomorrow?” One guest came up to Ryan and asked.

“Let us check!” They looked at each other and again made it happen because they weren’t busy or even close to being booked. Rinse and repeat or copy and paste, they were on the other side of town the next night making the same exact menu.

At this time, Placemats availability online were the days that Ryan wasn't in clinical or had exams. Before the first cut or the first Reservation, Placemat looked busy to the eyes of a consumer before ever cooking a meal in guests home. It was a trick he learned to create demand and to look like it was something you needed to be doing.

These two days in April 2017 helped truly formulate Placemat. After the weekend and paying the roommate, Ryan was sitting in the green some $200 bucks. This $200 became the seed investment into all the Placemat reservations that followed and has in some part carried Placemat to now being a 6 year old company with an opportunity to take on 30 markets over the next year.

Taking that step, believing in yourself and being willing to fail is what allows Placemat to forge ahead and continue to push the envelope in a space that Ryan had no experience or business being in.

In his studies as a nursing student, Ryan was disillusioned with the focus on treating common ailments and chronic disease instead of preventing before it ever had a chance to turn into something else. In response, he took matters into his own hands and decided to become the change and a non-conformist he drew inspiration from.

Reisdorf is personally familiar with the significance of food in maintaining overall health due to his own experience with Type 1 Diabetes. Placemats mission is to spark meaningful conversations around our health through their meals, curating an unforgettable culinary experience that promotes complete well-being advocating for higher nutritional standards.

Through word of mouth alone, Placemat has prepared thousands of reservations in over 40 US markets, from A-list celebrities and professional athletes, to your everyday neighbors.

Working with a team of individuals passionate about feel-good food, Placemat remains at the forefront of the private dining industry, pioneering the way for memorable dining experiences byway of technology, automation and convenience.

Placemat has simplified the booking process, guiding prospective guests through the selection of reservation dates, menu options and payment with ease. Once you have completed the booking process, Placemat shows up and takes care of everything, arriving at your doorstep with all the necessary ingredients and supplies, cooking an exquisite meal in your kitchens and leaving it cleaner than when the Placemat Team arrived. Oh, and this all happens within just 3 hours.

So, whether you're hosting a celebration of any sort or you are simply craving a night off of cooking for your family on a Monday night – leave it to Placemat, you won’t regret it.