An Interview with Sophie Sajnani — Founder of Bellevue Bites
When quarantine first began in March of 2020, it’s safe to say that most teens never thought to make their own website — let alone code their own website. But Sophie Sajnani, a high school sophomore from Washington state, has just done exactly that, defining what it means to be an innovator amidst a global pandemic.
After seeing how many small businesses across have struggled as a result of quarantine, Sophie used her time in quarantine to develop Bellevue Bites, a website that supports local restaurants by connecting them with exclusive deals and offers for customers. It’s a win-win situation: not only does the website benefits customers with deals and discounts, but also supports small restaurants that have been hit hard during the pandemic. A combination of her experience with running a small business and her skills in technology equipped Sophie with the skills she needed to accomplish this feat. “Having that past entrepreneurial experience and working with small businesses before,” says Sophie, “I know how just one customer can brighten their day.”
And Sophie’s still just getting started with Bellevue Bites. In the span of a few months, she’s already expanded outside of her hometown of Bellevue, Washington, growing her site to include major cities like Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland. So how did Sophie accomplish all of this as a teenager? Read on to learn more.
First of all, tell me about yourself. Who are you, what is Bellevue Bites and what do you do?
SS: My name is Sophie Sajnani. I’m a sophomore at Newport High School. I love to code in my free time, I love to play tennis, I do DECA at my school, and I started Bellevue Bites in quarantine. When Governor Inslee first shut down all the local restaurants back in March, they were turning to takeout or delivery. I was seeing on the news all these local businesses struggling, and thought, “What can I do to help?” I have some experience in computer science and web design over from classes and learning, so I put those to use and built a website called Bellevue Bites.
Your idea of creating a website, Bellevue Bites, to help restaurants during this pandemic is such an amazing idea! What was the inspiration behind this idea?
Seeing the struggling local restaurants and also being a small business owner myself — I have a backpack business called Taschen Bags that I started back in middle school. Having that past entrepreneurial experience and working with small businesses before, I know how just one customer can brighten their day. So that’s where the inspiration came, and I started phone calling restaurants, bringing together the community, and was able to start up the website. It started really small and then it started to kind of just catch on, with word of mouth, people, or restaurants supporting it. I think from there, that inspiration grew more from the community and seeing the impact it could have.
How did your interest in STEAM begin?
In middle school I took my first computer science class, and from there, I was able to see that computer science isn’t just the stereotype of guys in hoodies being techies and all that. I think once I was able to see that there is a part of it that is also very creative — being able to design and incorporate that with STEM and computer science — that’s when I became really interested and hooked. I kind of picked it up on my own, because there’s just so many good resources out online right now, but I’ve also taken a few classes in school.
Outside of Bellevue Bites, you also have your own backpack business. Could you tell me more about that?
I started Taschen in middle school, and I still do it to this day. Back in middle school, I was part of this young entrepreneurs program, and at the end I pitched my idea for a bag that could go from a messenger bag to a handbag to a backpack and to a bigger size, and I was able to receive investing to start up the business. From there, it kind of just took off — I started manufacturing the bag and selling them. And a big part of what I do through Taschen is sharing and empowering women and girls’ stories through social media, so we will collaborate with girls and invite them to share their stories and their talents as well. I think that’s kind of the platform, and we really try and tie in the community through that.
It’s amazing how you’ve been able to expand Bellevue Bites to cities outside of Washington state as well! Do you have any other future plans for your website?
Like you said, continuing to expand! So right now we do Bellevue, Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver, because that’s just where all our deals are. But if you go to our Instagram, we’ll feature places also in Austin, California, or New York City. So continuing to expand to as many restaurants as possible is a goal, and then I also think in the future, continuing to do events, because that’s a way for us to connect with other people. Over the summer, we did a summer street fair, we’ve done a few cooking classes, and a lot of giveaways also on our Instagram, so that’s kind of what the future’s looking like.
If you could share a piece of advice for any other women who are interested in pursuing STEAM or for other teenage entrepreneurs, what would it be?
I would say to not let your age be a barrier, because a lot of times entrepreneurship and STEM can seem really scary and daunting. When you’re young, especially at this high school age, you have a lot of time to explore these different interests and make mistakes before it turns into a career. But also, even if you’re older, you can still start as well! Just take advantage of the opportunities available — there’s even resources at the library, online, and there’s free STEM classes that you can take. So don’t let your age be a barrier, because you can achieve a lot even at a young age, and tech is not limited by your age.
Despite only being a teenager, Sophie has already made an incredibly positive impact by using her skills to support various small restaurants and customers. To learn more about Sophie and her journey as a teen entrepreneur and founder, check out the Bellevue Bites website and Instagram accounts linked below!
Website: http://bellevuebites.glitch.me/
Bellevue Bites (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/bellevue.bites/
Taschen Bags (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/taschenbags/
Responses have been edited for clarity.
