Traveling Spoon
Traveling Spoon is a private marketplace platform founded in 2013 that connects travelers with personally vetted local home cooks across 200+ destinations for private cooking classes, in-home meals, and market tours, taking a commission on each booking.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Traveling Spoon does
Traveling Spoon, Inc. is a privately held marketplace platform founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco that connects travelers with locally vetted home cooks across 200+ destinations worldwide. The company operates three core product lines: In-Home Meals (1.5-2 hour private dining, $64-$125 per person), Cooking Experiences (3-4 hour hands-on cooking classes, $76-$319 per person), and Market Visits (1-2 hour guided market tours). Hosts are 100% personally vetted including in-person visits, and all experiences are private, backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Hosts set their own prices and receive over 70% of the booking price on average, with the platform retaining the balance as a marketplace commission.
The technology stack is a standard web-based booking platform (no mobile app) with payment processing via Stripe and PayPal, Google Analytics for traffic analysis, and integrations with travel agents, tour operators, and online activity providers through a dedicated travel agency portal. Distribution is hybrid: direct-to-consumer via travelingspoon.com, channel sales through travel agents and tour operators, and direct corporate sales for team-building experiences. The company has also expanded into Online Cooking Classes for non-travelers and Corporate Online Classes for B2B team-building, diversifying beyond the original in-person travel use case.
The company is incorporated in California as Traveling Spoon, Inc. and operates with 1-10 employees. Total disclosed institutional capital is approximately $870,000 raised in 2015 from Dorm Room Fund and The Chennai Angels; a 2017 crowdfunding attempt via SeedInvest closed at $0. No revenue, GMV, or headcount growth metrics are publicly disclosed. Ownership is described as founder-controlled with no evidence of institutional or private equity backing beyond the early seed round.
Traveling Spoon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Traveling Spoon
- Legal name
- Traveling Spoon, Inc.
- Website
- https://travelingspoon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Traveling Spoon is a private marketplace platform founded in 2013 that connects travelers with personally vetted local home cooks across 200+ destinations for private cooking classes, in-home meals, and market tours, taking a commission on each booking.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Traveling Spoon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Culinary Travel Experiences Marketplace
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Culinary Walking & Market Tours (THAJAGAA), Culinary Skills Workshops (Baking, Regional Cooking, Food Prep Skills) (THAJAKAE), Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH)
Keywords
Where Traveling Spoon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Traveling Spoon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Experience Booking Commission: Travelers book cooking classes, home meals, and market tours through the platform. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon takes a markup; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler. The company acts as a marketplace/platform taking a transaction fee.
- Online Cooking Classes: Private online cooking classes offered for those not traveling, providing additional revenue stream beyond in-person experiences
- Corporate Classes: Corporate online cooking classes offered as team-building experiences for businesses
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | In-Home Meals - 1.5-2 hrs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cooking Experiences - 3-4 hrs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Market Tours - 1-2 hrs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Combined Experiences - 5+ hrs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Food Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wine Tours |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Traveling Spoon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Traveling Spoon operates an online marketplace that connects travelers with locally vetted home cooks in 200+ destinations worldwide. Travelers book private in-home meals, hands-on cooking classes, market tours, food tours, and wine tours directly with hosts, and the company also offers virtual online cooking classes and corporate team-building classes. The platform takes a markup on host-set prices, with hosts typically receiving over 70% of the booking value.
Product overview
Traveling Spoon is a marketplace platform connecting travelers with local home cooks for authentic culinary experiences. The core offering consists of three experience types: In-home Meals (private dining experiences lasting 1.5-2 hours), Cooking Experiences (hands-on cooking classes lasting 3-4 hours), and Market Visits (guided local market tours lasting 1-2 hours). The platform operates in 200+ destinations worldwide with 100% vetted hosts. Additionally, the company offers Online Cooking Classes for remote participants and Corporate Online Classes for team building. All experiences are private (just the traveler and host) and backed by a satisfaction guarantee.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Traveling Spoon Online Classes: Private online cooking classes offered for people not traveling, allowing remote participation in cooking experiences with local hosts.
Products and services
- In-Home Meals Private dining experiences lasting 1.5–2 hours where travelers share a homemade meal with vetted local hosts in their homes, including conversation about food and local culture. Per-person pricing typically $64–$125 depending on destination and group size.
- Cooking Experiences Hands-on cooking classes lasting 3–4 hours where travelers learn cultural and culinary traditions directly from local hosts in their home kitchens. Per-person pricing typically $76–$319 depending on destination, experience type, and group size.
- Market Visits Guided local market tours lasting 1–2 hours where hosts introduce travelers to nearby markets and local produce producers, often combined with meals or cooking classes.
- Online Cooking Classes Private virtual cooking classes available for people not physically traveling, allowing remote participation in authentic cooking experiences with local hosts.
- Corporate Online Classes Private online cooking classes designed for corporate groups and team-building activities, accessible through a dedicated corporate booking page.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% satisfaction guarantee or money back on all experiences
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Traveling Spoon
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Traveling Spoon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Traveling Spoon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Travel Agents and Tour OperatorscoreTraveling Spoon works with travel agents and tour operators who can make host bookings for their clients. These partners promote services to travelers in locations where Traveling Spoon offers experiences. Partners receive access to host information to facilitate bookings.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Traveling Spoon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eatwith: Eatwith is a direct competitor running a nearly identical marketplace connecting travelers with vetted local hosts for in-home dining experiences, cooking classes, and food tours in 130+ countries. It is the closest functional analog to Traveling Spoon's core offering.
- Withlocals: Withlocals is a direct peer offering private, host-led tours and experiences including dedicated cooking classes and food tours in dozens of countries. Competes head-to-head with Traveling Spoon for the same experiential-travel traveler seeking authentic local immersion.
- Cozymeal: Cozymeal operates a marketplace for private and group cooking classes with local chefs, primarily in the United States. It overlaps directly with Traveling Spoon's cooking experience product line, especially the corporate and team-building segment.
- Cookly: Cookly is a direct peer running a marketplace for cooking classes with local chefs across Asia and Europe. It mirrors Traveling Spoon's curated, host-led model and competes for the same cross-border experiential culinary travelers.
- Backstreet Academy: Backstreet Academy is a direct peer offering locally-led workshops and food experiences with vetted hosts across Southeast Asia and beyond. Targets the same authentic, host-led experiential traveler as Traveling Spoon.
Broad incumbents
- Airbnb Experiences: Airbnb Experiences is a broad incumbent offering thousands of cooking classes and food tours hosted by locals, leveraging Airbnb's massive traveler audience. It competes with Traveling Spoon's marketplace but as part of a much wider portfolio of accommodations and experiences.
- Viator: Viator (owned by Tripadvisor) is a broad incumbent tour and activity marketplace that includes food tours, cooking classes, and culinary experiences in cities worldwide. Overlaps with Traveling Spoon's category but at much greater scale and breadth.
- GetYourGuide: GetYourGuide is a broad incumbent online tour and activity platform offering culinary experiences and food tours globally. Competes for the same traveler wallet but across a vastly broader set of attractions and activities.
- Klook: Klook is a broad incumbent travel activities and experiences platform especially strong in Asia-Pacific, offering cooking classes and food tours alongside transport, attractions, and wellness. Overlaps with Traveling Spoon in destination-based culinary offerings.
Others
- TourHQ: TourHQ is a global marketplace connecting travelers with independent tour guides and operators, including culinary experiences. It is thematically adjacent — a private-guide marketplace — but not a focused direct competitor in the in-home culinary niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Traveling Spoon social profiles
Digital presenceTraveling Spoon compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Traveling Spoon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Traveling Spoon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Traveling Spoon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Traveling Spoon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Traveling Spoon
What does Traveling Spoon do?
Traveling Spoon operates an online marketplace that connects travelers with locally vetted home cooks in 200+ destinations worldwide. Travelers book private in-home meals, hands-on cooking classes, market tours, food tours, and wine tours directly with hosts, and the company also offers virtual online cooking classes and corporate team-building classes. The platform takes a markup on host-set prices, with hosts typically receiving over 70% of the booking value.
Is Traveling Spoon a public or private company?
Traveling Spoon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Traveling Spoon founded?
Traveling Spoon was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Traveling Spoon based?
Traveling Spoon is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Traveling Spoon make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Experience Booking Commission is the primary driver. The others are online Cooking Classes and corporate Classes.
Who are Traveling Spoon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eatwith, Withlocals, Cozymeal, Cookly and Backstreet Academy. Broad incumbents are Airbnb Experiences, Viator, GetYourGuide and Klook. TourHQ is listed as an others.
Does Traveling Spoon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Traveling Spoon.
What industry is Traveling Spoon in?
Traveling Spoon's product category is Culinary Travel Experiences Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJALAH, Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal), with a secondary code of THAJAGAA, Culinary Walking & Market Tours. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.