Frequently Asked Questions

What is Habuyta?

Habuyta is a community-driven food focused marketplace that empowers independent home cooks, chefs, and small food businesses to sell their food legally, connect with customers, and grow sustainably.

We combine technology, community, and hands-on support to help food entrepreneurs start and scale with confidence.

It is the first “on demand” platform, built by the community, for the community.

Habuyta is an on-demand marketplace built on transparency and trust and that’s what makes us so affordable. The platform encourages information sharing, reviews, and crowdsourced insights to help both sellers and buyers make informed decisions. We thrives as a self-governing ecosystem.

We support anyone who wants to sell food by providing compliance guidance—while preserving freedom, creativity, and cultural expression.

Who is Habuyta for?

Habuyta is built for sellers, buyers and foodies:

  • For starting sellers or those who are looking to scale and sell homemade food, products and services online or in person - Habuyta is the ultimate one stop shop to get hands on affordable support.

  • International and cultural food makers sharing “hard to find” and authentic cuisine

  • Small food businesses looking for an alternative to platforms like Castiron

  • Customers and foodies who want to discover and experience local, hard to find, authentic, find authentic local dishes and homemade food

I’m already using Shopify or another platform. Why would I need Habuyta?

If you’re already using Shopify or another e-commerce tool, Habuyta doesn’t replace what you’ve built—it fills the gaps those platforms don’t cover for food businesses.

Shopify is a powerful tool for building a website, but it assumes you already have traffic, technical knowledge, and time to manage your store. Habuyta is built specifically for food creators who want visibility, community, and real buyers, not just a storefront.

With Habuyta, you get:

  • Built-in discovery from customers actively looking for local, authentic food

  • A shared marketplace, not an isolated website

  • Tools designed specifically for food and home-based businesses

  • Community support, education, and peer learning

  • A simple, mobile-first experience with no technical setup

  • Flexible pricing that lets you start with low or no monthly costs

Sellers use Habuyta alongside Shopify—or switch entirely, and as a replacement to Castiron.

Is Habuyta a website or an app?

Currently, Habuyta is a mobile app.

We are actively working toward a web app experience, but for now, the app is the best way to buy and sell on Habuyta.

To get started today:
👉 Download the Habuyta app on iOS or Android

Download the app 
What can sellers do on Habuyta today?

Sellers can:

  • Create a sharable store and listings

  • List food products, services like catering, cooking classes, events and more.

  • Create and share their menu

  • Accept online and in-person, payments

  • Chat directly with customers

  • Receive immediate payouts via Stripe

  • Access community support and resources

  • Grow their business at their own pace

How does Habuyta protect buyers and ensure secure orders?

Habuyta is built to give buyers confidence from checkout to pickup or delivery. All payments are processed securely through Stripe, using encrypted, PCI-compliant technology.

This means buyers can:

  • Pay securely and confidently

  • Receive clear order confirmations and updates

  • Know that they will either receive their food or get their money back

  • Easily reorder from sellers they trust and love

Habuyta creates a transparent and reliable experience, so you can focus on discovering and enjoying great local food.

How much does it cost to sell on Habuyta?

Habuyta offers flexible pricing so sellers can choose what works best for them:

  • No subscription: 5% transaction fee

  • $20/month subscription: 3% transaction fee

  • $24/month (yearly commitment): 0% transaction fees

Payment processing is handled by Stripe:

  • Online: 2.9% + $0.30

  • POS: 2.7% + $0.10

There are no required add-on fees.

Do I need to be tech-savvy to use Habuyta?

Not at all. Habuyta is designed for people who want to focus on cooking and selling, not building websites or managing complex tools.

If you can use a smartphone, you can use Habuyta.

You can always reach out to us for further support, our team will be delighted to help you:
support@habuyta.com

How do I get started?

  • Download the Habuyta app

  • Create a profile.

  • Start exploring food and connect with our community

  • If you are a seller - set up your store in no time

  • This is how simple it is. Join the community and grow with us

How does it work for sellers to set up a store on Habuyta?

Setting up a store on Habuyta is quick and simple—no website or technical skills needed.

Sellers can:

  • Download the Habuyta app and create a seller account

  • Set up a sharable store in minutes

  • Add products, menus, prices, and availability

  • Connect Stripe to accept payments and get paid

  • Start selling to customers in the Habuyta community

Once your store is live, buyers can discover you, place orders, message you, and reorder—all in one place.

👉 Watch the short demo video to see how easy it is to set up your store on Habuyta.

Watch this demo video 
What’s next for Habuyta?

We’re continuing to improve and expand features, partnerships, and tools — including a future web app experience — while staying true to our mission:
empowering independent food entrepreneurs through community, access, and opportunity.

How do I get started?

  • Download the Habuyta app

  • Create a profile.

  • Start exploring food and connect with our community

  • If you are a seller - set up your store in no time

  • This is how simple it is. Join the community and grow with us