A new Silicon Valley startup has enraged the internet with its name, logo, and purpose on the day of its launch.
The company, called Bodega, plans to install unmanned smart pantry boxes in apartments, offices, dorms, and gyms, which would effectively kill off the very corner stores the startup is named after – its logo is also a cat, a staple of every real-life bodega.
When Fast Company published a feature on the startup – which is run by two ex-Googlers – on Wednesday, the piece sent internet commenters into a fury, calling out the company for insensitivity, cultural appropriation, and gentrification.
When Fast Company published a feature on the startup – which is run by two ex-Google employees – on Wednesday, the piece sent internet commenters into a fury
‘Two Ex-Googlers Want To Make Bodegas And Mom-And-Pop Corner Stores Obsolete,’ the headline read.
The article goes on to describe the startup’s plan to place polished five-foot-wide pantry boxes filled with non-perishable items you would typically pick up at your corner store in more convenient locations, like inside apartment buildings.
An app allows you to unlock the box, which uses cameras to register what you pick up and automatically charge your credit card.
‘The vision here is much bigger than the box itself,’ Paul McDonald, who spent 13 years as a product manager at Google, told Fast Company.
‘Eventually, centralized shopping locations won’t be necessary, because there will be 100,000 Bodegas spread out, with one always 100 feet away from you.’
But while his team is pitching a business that modernizes convenience, the concept has been met with extreme backlash.
Shortly after publication, ‘bodega’ began trending on Twitter as users shared negative reactions.
The company, called Bodega, plans to install unmanned pantry boxes in apartments, offices, dorms, and gyms, which would effectively kill off the very corner stores the startup is named after – its logo is also a cat, a staple of every real-life bodega
Shortly after publication, ‘bodega’ began trending on Twitter as users shared negative reactions
When asked point-blank if he was worried the name ‘Bodega’ would come off as insensitive, McDonald said no.
‘I’m not particularly concerned about it,’ he said.
‘We did surveys in the Latin American community to understand if they felt the name was a misappropriation of that term or had negative connotations, and 97 percent said “no.” It’s a simple name and I think it works.’
While the team is pitching a business that modernizes convenience, the concept has been met with extreme backlash
People quickly began calling out the company for and insensitivity and gentrification
One called for more bodegas and fewer Silicon Valley entrepreneurs
The startup – which launched today – was founded by two former Google employees
‘The vision here is much bigger than the box itself,’ Paul McDonald, who spent 13 years as a product manager at Google, told Fast Company
Corner stores – which are affectionately known as ‘bodegas’ in New York and Los Angeles – are considered community staples.
In these cities, everyone has a bodega – usually the one closest to their home – they refer to as their own.
Bodegas are also known and loved for having cats that hang out in them – you can go to the same bodega every day and would be likely to see the same feline greet you at the door or sitting on a shelf between bags of chips.
While many took up issue with the concept itself, the name and cat logo put people’s already negative perception of the new startup over the edge.
Bodegas are also known and loved for having cats that hang out in them – you can go to the same bodega every day and would be likely to see the same feline greet you at the door or sitting on a shelf between bags of chips
When asked point-blank if he was worried the name ‘Bodega’ would come off as insensitive, McDonald said no. ‘I’m not particularly concerned about it,’ he said.
Corner stores – which are affectionately known as ‘bodegas’ in New York and Los Angeles – are considered community staples
In these cities, everyone has a bodega – usually the one closest to their home – they refer to as their own
While many took up issue with the concept itself, the name and cat logo put people’s already negative perception of the new startup over the edge
Many are viewing the company as yet another privileged move from Silicon Valley.
Prior to launch, ‘Bodega’ secured funding from prominent tech investors including Josh Kopelman at First Round Capital, Kirsten Green at Forerunner Ventures, and Hunter Walk at Homebrew.
They also secured angel investment from senior executives at Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, and Google.
According to the Bodega Association of the United States, there are an estimated 13,000 currently in New York City.
Many are viewing the company as yet another privileged move from Silicon Valley. The vast majority of the 13,000 bodegas in NYC are run by immigrants or first-generation Americans, most of whom are Puerto Rican, Dominican or Arab-American
The vast majority of these are run by immigrants or first-generation Americans, most of whom are Puerto Rican, Dominican or Arab-American.
The small stores – where you can buy everything from packaged foods and beer to deli sandwiches and select cleaning and personal products – are a primary way many immigrant residents of the city earn incomes.
Judging by the reaction to the company on its first official day, its future doesn’t seem bright.
The social media pages associated with the company already seem to have been taken down.
Some users expressed joked the bodega cats should lead the revolt against the company.
Some users expressed joked the bodega cats should lead the revolt against the company
Judging by the reaction to the company on its first official day, its future doesn’t seem bright. The social media pages associated with the company already seem to have been taken down