For Priya and Shaleen Prakash, the idea behind WannaEat came from a very familiar problem: the question of how, exactly, dinner is supposed to get on the table at the end of a long workday. Before launching the company, the founders built long careers in banking then fintech. “We both spent 11 years at Capital One, taking on increasingly senior and demanding roles while learning to work backward from a North Star, to be steadfast on the vision while remaining flexible on the details,” Priya says. They also learned from experiences that translated directly into entrepreneurship, including being customer centric, building strong technology products, leading teams, and having the grit to see things through. They then poured all that wisdom into creating their own business.

What’s for Dinner?

Like many dual-career couples, the Prakashes were living a version of the same daily scramble as everyone around them. They were commuting into New York City, often spending 90 minutes each way on NJ Transit “on a good day, and there weren’t many of those,” Priya says. By the time they returned home, there was not much time or energy left to cook.

As they talked with friends, the same frustrations kept surfacing. People wanted meals that reflected their tastes, used authentic flavors, and felt like something they would make themselves if they had the time. At the same time, independent chefs were already out there, capable of doing exactly that, but the space felt scattered and difficult to navigate.

While walking around South Mountain Elementary School, they noticed a quote on the message board: “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” The encounter was a turning point. “It made us realize we could either keep talking about the problem or do something about it,” Priya says. “We chose the latter. WannaEat was born from that moment.”

A Seat at the Table

Leaving behind stable, successful corporate careers was not easy, but the couple found perspective in their family history. Both of their fathers’ families lost everything during the 1947 Partition of India and had the strength to rebuild from scratch. “I love to say, ‘courage before confidence,’” Priya says.

The couple also did their homework. Before launching, they spent time speaking with both chefs and customers. “We saw a real need on both sides: Chefs wanted a way to monetize their talent, and customers wanted better, more personal culinary experiences,” Priya says. “That gave us the conviction to take the leap.”

Early on, without any built-in infrastructure, everything rested on Priya and Shaleen. They had to figure out technology, chef onboarding, customer experience, and delivery, all while solving the marketplace puzzle of attracting enough chefs to interest customers and enough customers to make the platform worthwhile for chefs. “We spent a tremendous amount of time listening to both sides,” Priya says.

That feedback shaped their product and their business model, and over time, WannaEat grew into a marketplace where chefs can build real businesses and customers can find everything from everyday meals to private chef experiences and catered events.

Building the Platform

The company’s growth has been matched by an emphasis on quality. Every chef on the platform is vetted, which includes a taste testing of three to five of their dishes. Each chef also must have a food handler certificate. A ratings and review system adds another layer of accountability. “We are intentional about holding a very high bar,” Priya says. “The lowest-rated chef on the platform is currently a 4.9 on a scale of 5.”

With more than 100 chefs, WannaEat now offers a wide range of cuisines and formats. Priya describes it as “the one-stop shop for all your culinary needs.” But what makes the platform especially compelling is its flexibility. “If you can vocalize it, our chefs can bring it to life,” she shares. One of WannaEat’s fastest-growing categories is private chef experiences, which the company is making more approachable and less rigid than the traditional model.

The Prakashes, who moved to Millburn from Richmond, Virginia, in 2017, say the town quickly felt like the right fit. “Millburn was a natural choice given the top-rated schools, direct train to NYC, proximity to Newark Airport, and the small-town feel,” Priya says.

They also credit the community with helping to shape the business. Many of WannaEat’s earliest customers came from nearby, and that local support helped confirm what they believed from the start: People want food that makes life easier, but they also want connection, celebration, and a way to support local talent. Priya says WannaEat is about more than simply solving dinner. “We want WannaEat to be a platform where great food creates opportunity on both sides of the table.”

Photograph courtesy of Priya Prakash