PULL-UP-A-SEAT PAMPHLET

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FAQ

 

Pull Up A Seat Help Center

General

• What is Pull Up A Seat?  Pull-Up-A-Seat is a food app that allows you to find anyone cooking in a twenty mile radius of you and simply ‘pull up a seat’. Via dine-in, delivery, and take out; you, the member/cook are now in control of what food you want, when you want it, and how you experience or share it. We are a platform for passionate individual cooks to share their delicious offerings and connect with those around them. We allow ‘chefs’ (anyone who wants to cook on the app) the ability to share their dishes and make full profit for their cooking.  While, on the other side,  we allow members more variety, cheaper options, healthier alternatives, and new food experiences that may have never been possible before…all you need is an app like ‘PULL-UP-A-SEAT’ to open that door!
• Do you have to pay to join Pull-Up-A-Seat? Pull-Up-A-Seat is absolutely free to register and join. The only time that you will pay for anything is when you are placing your order.
• So, what’s it cost to use Pull-Up-A-Seat? Again, Pull-Up-A-Seat is free to join for everyone. As a ‘host’ your listings are free, and for the members all you will have to pay is for the food, and for any request that you may make (i.e., delivery).
• How Do I Join Pull-Up-A-Seat? You can participate in our private community marketplace for free by completing the signing up through the app, agreeing to our Terms and Conditions, and creating a valid user profile.  In your user profile, you will find the option to sign up to be a ‘host’, in which, you will go through a small vetting process that will soon give you access to posting your listing. 
• How does it work? Pull-Up-A-Seat is not just an “e-marketplace” connecting chefs to hungry members, but also a private community marketplace. We truly believe in fostering great relationships between the chefs and members, and in doing so, all “members” and “hosts” must create user profiles that help create transparency for all those in the community to see who they are connecting with. 

1. As a member, your user profile will connect you to thecommunity, and from there you will be given access to all ‘listings’ posted of those cooking around you.
2. Listings are classified in two groups as ‘IMMEDIATE’ or ‘PRE-ORDER’, and the member can choose their preference. 
3. Under the preference that you chose in Step Two, now you can browse through the available listings, and pick the meal and experience that you’re in the mood for.
4. User pays for order through the app. Depending on the experience/dish the user chose they will be given a confirmation of order and approximate wait time.
5. User enjoys the food and Everyone is Happy!

• Why do I need to create a user profile? Your profile allows the host and fellow members to learn a little bit more about you. It also adds to the transparency of the community. However, for those that may feel uncomfortable, you do not have to share personal information/pictures of you if you don’t want, but we really want to encourage you to at least try! The only people who can see your full profile are those that you are ordering from, or in the case of hosts, then, the people who are ordering from you. If you choose not to build a “valid” user profile (75% of your profile completed) you will not have access to certain features like social dining in, being able to become a host, or being at risk to be rejected from certain hosts who may not feel comfortable with your anonymity. 
• Are my transactions and correspondence safe on Pull Up A Seat? We developed this platform with trust and confidence at the forefront. As we were going through development, the question of “trust” came up a lot, and on our end we are committed to making the experience the best possible one that we can. As a young start up, we are invested in providing the highest quality experience for our users at every point of the way.  As a member of Pull Up A Seat you can have full confidence in us through the precautionary measures that we’ve taken beforehand, as listed below: 
  • Vetting Process For All Confirmed Hosts
  • Secured payment system
  • Third party insurance coverage 
  • Keeping your transactions and correspondence on Pull Up A Seat also ensures that you uphold our terms of service.  We cannot verify the validity of any transactions done outside of our system. Any transactions or correspondence made outside the Pull Up A Seat system is at your own risk.
• How Can I Help Pull Up A Seat Grow?  We appreciate you asking! The first thing we can think of at the top of our head is posting a listing on the app yourself, but if you’re more of the “eater” than the “cooker” type we definitely understand! There are a lot of ways for you to get involved. If you’ve become a fan of Pull Up A Seat and want to see us take this to new heights, then please contact us about becoming a Pull Up A Seat ambassador. Ambassadors are people in our community who are eager to help spread the joy of home cooking as far as we can, and get more people to ‘pull up a seat’ of their own! To learn more, reach out to [email protected]
• What happens after I submit an order? We send your order to the “host” and as soon as you hit the button. We email you a receipt, confirmation, and time approximate.
• What If I don’t receive an order confirmation email? Check your spam folder, and, if all else fails, reach us at  

The Big Question- Cooking On The App

• Is this Legal?  Pull-Up-A-Seat is a private community marketplace and we pride ourselves in connecting personal chefs and cottage food operations to hungry members. Since, we are a private community marketplace; all those that join our app are considered members of the community.  As members of thiscommunity you are given access to all dishes that are posted as listings on our app that are not publicly available and can only be bought through the app. We here at, Pull Up A Seat, want to ensure a safe and efficient community for all those to enjoy,  and we start off doing that by easing your fears right from the gate. All those that cook on Pull-Up-A-Seat are divided into two categories of “personal chefs” and “cottage food operations”  , which legally allows for individuals to be able to share their delicious food offerings from home (all within guidelines, of course) in different capacities. 

1. Personal Chefs-  In Florida, there aren’t prerequisite or certifications required for you to be a “personal chef” in the home, so don’t let that scare you off. But, if you do have certifications they can be great additions to your user profile, and add a level of comfort to users in the community about your cooking. You also do not need a license to operate as a “personal chef” in the state of Florida,  according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, “If a person hires you to prepare food in a personal home and the person who hired you and his or her guests eats the food in the home, you are considered a personal chef and would not need a license from the division.” (Reference: F.A.C., Rule 61C-1.002).

• As a personal chef, you are being “hired” by another member in our community to provide the exact meal you posted in your listing from your home. Personal Chefs are individuals who choose to cook meals/dishes of their desire through the app. You only have the option of ‘social dining in’ and ‘take-out’ for your listings to be delivered.  You are given the ability to do “IMMEDIATE” listings and “PRE-ORDER” listings.
• We consider chefs, start-ups (without established storefronts) and food trucks to be personal chefs and are allowed to work on the app with proper documentation. 

1. Cottage Food Operations- In2011, the 2011 Florida Legislature enacted House Bill 7209 allowing individuals to manufacture, sell, and store certain types of cottage food products in an unlicensed home kitchen. “Cottage Food Operations” require no license or permit from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), and are not inspected by any state government entity.  It is a very unregulated industry in Florida.  Please keep note that, Gross sales for a cottage food operation must not exceed $15,000 annually. 

• COTTAGE FOOD OPERATIONS are allowed to create loaf breads, rolls, biscuits, cakes, pastries, cookies, candies, confections, honey, jams, jellies, preserves, fruit pies, dried fruits, dry herbs, seasonings, mixtures, homemade pasta, cereals, trail mixes, granola, coated or uncoated nuts, vinegar/flavored vinegars, popcorn, and popcorn balls.
• A lot of people are not sure if they fall under cottage food operations, and that’s okay. We have a guidelines section right here (clickable link) for you to browse through. For example, If you’re into the dessert/bakery area, then you’re most likely a cottage food operation and should proceed as such. As a cottage food operation, you are allowed to all available delivery options. 

Payment

• How Will I Receive My Payment? All orders are placed through our secure payment gateway. Payments are delivered through BrainTree (powered by PayPal), and you will not charged any fees associated with the delivery of your payment. We make payments through Paypal. 
• When Will I Receive My Payment? Pull Up A Seat releases your payout every Monday through Paypal. For those in a refund situation, there’s usually a 72 wait period for refunds after the member has been contacted by our team about their complaint. 
• Do you have an idea of Processing Time for Payouts? Pull Up A Seat will release your Payout on Monday, and it takes some additional time for the money to get to you. 

1. Paypal: Within 1 Business Day

• What About Refunds? If a member is unsatisfied with a dish or the service received, the member can request a full refund within 24 hours of receiving the dish. No refund can exceed $50. In the case of a refund, the Chef doesn’t get paid for the dish ordered, and after determining the extent of the incident he can be suspended or terminated from the platform.  Email us at and one of our representatives will get back to you shortly.  
• What is PULL UP A SEAT payment policy? Within Florida, we distribute full payment of whatever you charge, less credit card fees, platform fees, and any refunds, within 7 business days. You will need to sign up for a PayPal account as a host to receive payments. 

TAX & LEGAL

• How Do I Report My Income? All hosts are able to access their total payout in Paypal, through monthly statements and transaction history. Please reference Paypal to report your income to the IRS. Hosts who exceed the IRS thresholds of $15,000 USD in gross payment volume for the sale of goods or services AND receive over 200 separate payments for goods or services in the same calendar year will receive Form 1099-K, which can be accessed from your PayPal account. Hosts who are classified as ‘Cottage Food Operations’ should pay attention to this the most. 
• Where Do I Get a 1099 Form? Here's how you can access your Form 1099-K online: Log in to your PayPal account —> Click Activity —> Click Statements and select Tax documents —> Select the tax year you need. Only sellers who exceed the IRS thresholds will receive Form 1099-K. Sellers exceed the IRS thresholds when they receive over $20,000 USD in gross payment volume for the sale of goods or services AND receive over 200 separate payments for goods or services in the same calendar year.
• What about Taxes? Within Florida, Pull Up A Seat collects sales tax on your behalf and forwards it to the appropriate government authority in cases when dishes are shared for a fee. You are responsible for paying income taxes. You will receive an annual sales report from our payment processor to help you determine if you owe any taxes. You should contact a tax professional to help determine your tax liability.

Member Questions

• Do you offer delivery? Delivery is offered on behalf of Pull Up A Seat through our delivery partner who specializes in food delivery, however, please be mindful that delivery is subject to change with each listing.
• How quickly can I get my food? Most delivery orders are fulfilled within an hour! 
• How Do You Approve Chefs? Pull Up A Seat is designed to be a open food sharing marketplace, and we have made it a priority of ours to make sure we’ve developed the best possible vetting system for chefs.  Please keep in mind that the concept behind ‘Pull Up A Seat’ is focused on individuals being able to engage, share, and enjoy the experience of home cooking. So, on the app you will be seeing offerings from individuals, start-ups(those w/o established storefronts), food trucks, and experienced chefs all in one. However, despite everyone’s different level of skill; they all go through the same process to ensure that we are allowing quality and passionate individuals on our platform. 
• What if an eater wants to cancel an order? We do not allow the cancellation of orders on ‘IMMEDIATE’ listings.  You are allowed to cancel orders from Pre-Orders at least 48 hours ahead of the dish being available.  We encourage members to please be considerate with your cancellations or even worse deciding to be a no-show. Hosts put a lot of time and energy into creating the food and experience for you, and it can be pretty infuriating/disheartening to deal with these circumstances.  We understand you can’t predict the future, and cancelling plans happens, however, how you deal with it is totally in your control. For those that choose to do a ‘no show’ a $10 fee will be assessed after the host has submitted complaint within 24 hours, and you STILL will be charged for your meal.   Remember, Pull Up A Seat is a community, and we have to treat each other like how we would want to be treated.
• Who do I call to check on the status of my order? We do not have a phone number for you to call. We operate solely through e-mail. You can contact for any questions about your order status, comments, and concerns.
• What if a member doesn’t like the food?  You don’t like the food….tough. No, we’re totally kidding. Members are given the opportunity to ‘rate and review” chefs/listings, so we encourage you to utilize that tool to express yourself. If a member is completely unsatisfied, they can request a refund within a 24 hour window frame.  In the case of a refund, the Chef doesn’t get paid for the dish ordered.
• What if the host doesn’t provide the food as promised? Members should let us know. They will receive a full refund and the host will be reprimanded.
• Is My Payment Secure? Security and Trust are our two biggest priorities. We use a third-party payment processor that specializes in providing services for marketplaces such as ours. 
• Do you store credit card data? No, we do not store any credit card data. Credit card details are encrypted and sent to our payment processor. We receive a unique payment token in return that can only be used by us. Our payment processor maintains bank-level security of all data and complies with all applicable state and federal data protection and privacy laws.

Reporting Abuse

• How does a member report abuse? Anything that may be considered a crime by local or Federal authorities should be reported to the police or appropriate authorities immediately. For non-criminal actions, members can also email us at [email protected]. Members should be as specific as possible when contacting us.

Chef Questions

• How do I apply to become a host? We have a simple application process through the app that will help get you started. Again, we want to address that all those that cook on Pull-Up-A-Seat are divided into two categories of hosts: “personal chefs” and “cottage food operations” . This allows for individuals to be able to share their delicious food offerings from home (all within guidelines, of course) in different capacities. Please refer to our references located back in the ‘legal’ section by clicking here (clickable link) to make sure you understand what would be the best option for you.

• I don’t have professional experience/didn’t go to culinary school. Can I still post listings on the app? We believe in inspiring and sharing passions, and we will not turn down anyone that wants to post a listing just off of limited experiences alone.  If you do not have any professional experience,  but still can make amazing meals, then you should definitely sign up! You should remember that you want to present the best meal that you can possibly whip up to the community, because in the end, you want to make a sale, right? 

• Can a Host be removed from the platform? Definitely.  We consider Hosts to be the heart of our app, and we take our partnership with them very seriously.  Hosts can be removed for numerous reasons that violate our TOS, so please be mindful to read our TOS thoroughly to ensure your within guidelines at all times of operating on the app. 
• How much Should I Charge? This is all depends on you! You should consider the costs of your ingredients and time preparing the meal. You should also be honest with yourself- for example, don’t charge Ruth Chris prices and you’re skill set is not quite there yet. We encourage hosts to keep your prices competitive, but also be smart. Many hosts begin by charging $8-$12 for their first few meals.
• What packaging should I use?  We offer ‘Starter Packaging Kits’ that include food container plates, saran wrap, labels, gloves,  and reminders/instructions for $10.99 that can get to everyone in the Orlando area within hours of order being placed.  We have strict guidelines on Food Packaging and you can refer to here (clickable link) to see. We highly encourage for you to order our starter packages, so that you’re completely in line with guidelines, and lessen the chance to run into any problems.
• How Do I Contact Hosts who reserve my dishes?  If you’ve been approved by the host for pre-orders/dining in options, then you can see reservations for pre-orders in your ‘ORDERS’ section. You have the ability to send a message to the host directly after you’ve been approved, and can converse through there. We highly encourage communication between hosts and members to remain on the platform for those ‘just in case’ moments.
• What happens if I have a ‘No Show’?  We definitely agree that ‘no shows’ suck. We hate them just as much as you do. If you are ever in a situation where a member doesn’t show up, then feel free to email us at in full detail of the situation. In the event of a no show, you will still keep profit from your listing. In the meantime, you don’t have to let that lovely meal go to waste; you can set up a listing for ‘IMMEDIATE’ and maybe someone else can get that plate off your hands, or even better a new person might even join you!
• Can I change or cancel a dish once I post it? We really do not like cancellations of dishes just as much as we do not like ‘No Shows’. We do not allow ‘changes’ in listings, because it allows a lot of room for error.  In regards to listings that are ‘immediate’; If you feel that you made a mistake in your listing, we encourage you to take the listing completely down and resubmit a new one. If you have a listing that’s up for ‘PRE-ORDER’ that you made a mistake or would like to make changes to, then you have a 24-hour window frame to do so. ‘PRE-ORDER’ Listings that fail to make their changes within this time frame will be assessed a $1 fee for cancellations. If your pre-order listing had confirmed buyers- we will notify them that you took your listing down and to check the feed to see your new one.
• How can I trust a member? Pull-Up-A-Seat is a community and we have guidelines in place to ensure that we can provide the best possible user experience for everyone. In order to make this happen, we do rely on each other to hold others accountable, but we also have preventive measures in place for hosts interacting with members on the platform. Members must use a credit, debit, or paypal to reserve any meal on the app.  We encourage all members to create a detailed user profile, so both parties can get a on the surface feel for who they are interacting with. You have full control of who you choose to dine with or service.
• What Can I do about unfair or bad review?  Reviews are like Gold in this community. Great Ratings can lead to bigger profit margins, and we’re here to make sure that all hosts are as successful as can be. However,  we can not modify or remove reviews that you do not agree with, but you definitely have the opportunity to rebuttal and state your case if you are ever in that position. In the event that you feel you are being harassed by a specific user, please contact promptly, so that we can handle the situation.
• Do I need to cook in commercial kitchen?  You don’t have to…but that’s all on you.  It depends on what you are making and where you live.  Pull Up A Seat is simply a marketplace and platform to connect with hungry foodie lovers. We do not inspect your kitchen.
• What about food hygiene standards? You should follow all relevant food safety standards and recommendations when preparing your dishes. You can find all relevant information in the Orlando area here (clickable link).
• Can a professional chef or restaurant post on the app? Eh, half and half. A professional chef is welcomed with open arms here. We would love your presence on the app. Unfortunately, we do not allow restaurants that have established storefronts on the app, because we feel that it is in direct competition with the individuals who are selling food. It’s not a fair fight.  However, we do support local business and allow advertising opportunities via our app.
• Can a caterer post on Pull Up A Seat? Yes, caterers can use Pull Up A Seat to continue to share their best dishes too. You never know who may order from you one day, and end up wanting your services again for their next event!  
• Can food trucks use Pull Up A Seat? Yes. Pull Up A Seat is great for food trucks. You can post your best dishes on Pull Up A Seat and then specify your truck’s location as the pickup location as well as the hours when the dishes will be available. This is a great tool in attracting a new audience, and also building support and convince with your established audience now that they have the ability to reserve your dishes ahead of time.
• How many dishes can I post on the app? You can post up to three listings per day with one dish per listing. ‘IMMEDIATE’ Listings expire in 6 hours after initial posting.  ‘PRE-ORDER’ listings last 5 days. We have available options for those operating with MENUS that will allow you to have your listing posted for days/weeks at a time, please contact .
• How far into the future can i post a dish for sharing?  5 days. If you would like to have listings for a pre-orders that are months in advance please contact  
• Can I keep a dish up permanently? It’ll cost ya :) If you’re curious about that then please feel free to e-mail us at to hear our rates.

Social Dining

• What is Social Dining?  Social Dining is the ability to share a meal with a stranger. 
• How does it work?  Social Dining is offered as an ‘IMMEDIATE’ option or ‘PRE-ORDER’ option. If you post Social Dining listing under ‘IMMEDIATE’ then we are talking about people who are interested in your meal within 1 hour. If you postSocial Dining listing under ‘PRE-ORDER’ this is for people who are expecting your meal to be at any point in the next five days of initial listing. Hosts that are interested in offering ‘social dining’ will create a listing describing the meal, price per seat, and their preference of immediate or pre-order. Members that are interested in the listing will click the ‘PRE-ORDER’ button, but will not be confirmed nor charged until the hosts approves. If the host approves, members will be charged,then, address of the meal will be released and the ability for both the member and host to talk through our messenger. 
• What am I paying for? Remember you are paying for a seat. You are paying for a seat at the table of whatever experience the listing offered.