Financial Infrastructure · June 2026

PlateLocal is
built on real
foundations.

We just opened our business banking with Mercury. For chefs and investors, that means one thing: every dollar on this platform is accounted for, protected, and handled the right way from day one.

Join the founding community
Chefs and investors who sign up now get priority access and a direct line to the founding team.
👨‍🍳 I'm a chef
📈 I'm an investor
🍽 I want to eat
🇺🇸 I'm a veteran

🔒 No spam. No pressure. We'll reach out personally when Portland launches.

You're in.

We'll be in touch personally. PlateLocal is being built for people like you.

Mercury Business Banking · Account Active

Your money —
and ours — is
protected.

Mercury is the banking platform built for startups. FDIC insured up to $5M. Real-time ledger. Wire-ready for investor deposits. We chose it because we take your trust seriously.

🏦
FDIC Insured to $5M
Via Mercury's banking partners — 10× standard FDIC coverage. Chef payouts and investor capital are protected.
Stripe Connect integrated
Chef payouts flow from Stripe directly to Mercury. Every transaction traceable, every dollar accounted for in real time.
📊
Investor-ready from day one
Mercury is the banking platform investors expect. Wire transfers, cap table support, and clean financials for due diligence.
🔐
Separate accounts for every purpose
Operating funds, chef payout reserves, and seed capital held in dedicated accounts. No co-mingling. Clean books from the first dollar.
100% Chef Payout· Mercury Banking Active· FDIC Insured to $5M· Stripe Connect Ready· Portland Beta 2026· SDVOSB Veteran-Founded· $750K Seed Target· 100% Chef Payout· Mercury Banking Active· FDIC Insured to $5M· Stripe Connect Ready· Portland Beta 2026· SDVOSB Veteran-Founded· $750K Seed Target·
Why banking infrastructure matters

What Mercury means for you.

👨‍🍳
For Home Chefs

Your Stripe payouts land in a real, audited business account — not a personal checking account. When PlateLocal pays you, that payment is traceable, compliant, and protected. You're working with a real business, not a side project.

📈
For Investors

Mercury is the banking platform sophisticated investors expect. Wire transfers work. Due diligence is clean. The books are audit-ready from the first transaction. When you wire your investment into PlateLocal, it lands in the right place with full visibility.

🇺🇸
For the Community

Three service-disabled veteran co-founders running a real Texas LLC with a Mercury business account, an EIN, and an operating agreement. This is not a concept. PlateLocal is a structured, legitimate business built to last.

Financial transparency

How every dollar flows.

Chef Payouts
100% to the chef. Always.

Every dollar a customer pays for a plate, a private dinner, a recipe, or a meal prep subscription goes directly to the chef via Stripe Connect. PlateLocal never takes a commission cut. We earn a $1.50 flat transaction fee from the customer — never from the chef.

100% of sale price to chef · $1.50 platform fee to customer
Platform Revenue
Simple, transparent, fair.

PlateLocal earns through a $1.50 flat transaction fee per order, optional Chef Pro account subscriptions ($12–$29/month), Diner Plus memberships ($9.99/month), and promoted listing fees. Every revenue source is disclosed. No hidden deductions.

$1.50 flat fee per transaction · no percentage commission
Investor Capital
Held separately. Deployed transparently.

Seed capital raised from investors is held in a dedicated Mercury account, separate from operating funds and chef payout reserves. Use-of-funds reporting will be provided to investors quarterly. We operate like a real company because we are one.

$750K seed target · Texas LLC · SDVOSB certification pending
Banking Structure
Three accounts. One clean ledger.

Operating account for day-to-day costs. Payout reserve account ensuring chef payments are never at risk from platform expenses. Seed capital account held separately until deployed per the investor-approved budget. Clean, professional, audit-ready.

3 dedicated accounts · Mercury · FDIC insured to $5M
For home chefs

What we're committing to you.

We are three veterans who built PlateLocal because we believe the people who cook deserve better than 30% commission and a faceless app. Here is what that commitment looks like in writing.

The PlateLocal Chef Pledge

You keep 100% of every sale. We earn a $1.50 flat fee from the customer — it never comes out of your payout.
Stripe payouts, not paper checks. Your money lands in your bank account on a reliable schedule. No waiting weeks.
You set your menu, hours, and prices. We are the platform. You are the business. We never override your decisions.
DoorDash Drive handles delivery. You cook. We handle logistics. No personal vehicle required.
Certified chefs get a discounted Pro rate. ServSafe, Sous Chef credentials, culinary school — your qualifications save you money on the platform.
Food cart chefs welcome. No brick-and-mortar required. If you're already cooking professionally, PlateLocal is your storefront.

🇺🇸 Service-Disabled Veteran-Founded

PlateLocal was built by three service-disabled veterans — based in Portland OR, San Antonio TX, and Augusta GA. SDVOSB certification in progress. We built the platform we wished existed when we came home.

SDVOSB Pending Texas LLC · Active Mercury Banking · Active EIN Established Seed Round Open