Veteran Developer Launches FridgeF App to Reduce Food Waste

FridgeF went live on January 6, 2026, introducing a consumer-facing tool that converts a quick photo of a refrigerator into multiple recipe options ranked by likely matches. The app pairs image recognition with machine-learning algorithms to identify ingredients and prioritize recipes that use what users already have on hand. Users can download FridgeF for free, try it for seven days without charge, and then continue via a monthly subscription; the app is available now in the Apple App Store with a Google Play release scheduled soon.

The developer, Luis Ortiz Orantes, brings a local-to-global arc to the project. Ortiz Orantes immigrated from El Salvador and later served at NAS Whidbey Island as a Navy aviation maintenance technician. He taught himself to code and developed FridgeF as an after-work project, turning technical skills honed in the military into a commercial product. The launch highlights a pathway Washington veterans have increasingly taken into technology entrepreneurship by translating disciplined, technical training into software development.

For Island County residents, FridgeF has several immediate implications. On a household level, the app targets two everyday challenges: meal planning and food waste. By recommending recipes that use existing ingredients, the app can help households repurpose items that might otherwise be discarded, potentially lowering food spending and reducing waste. For the local economy, Ortiz Orantes’s plan to scale the service and hire marketing help signals the potential for new jobs and contractor opportunities tied to a growing software business based in the region.

From a market and policy perspective, FridgeF represents a common startup model: initial free access to drive downloads, a short trial to demonstrate value, and subscription pricing to build recurring revenue. That approach can provide steady cash flow that supports hiring and product improvement if user acquisition and retention rise. Availability on major app platforms gives FridgeF broad distribution, but competition in food-tech and recipe apps will require focused marketing and product differentiation to convert downloads into sustainable subscriptions.

Ortiz Orantes’s journey — from El Salvador to NAS Whidbey Island to app developer — also underscores the importance of local support systems for entrepreneurs, including training, networking, and access to marketing expertise. Islanders interested in trying the app can search for FridgeF in the Apple App Store; the Google Play listing will follow with the forthcoming Android release. As FridgeF scales, its trajectory will be a measure of how veteran-founded tech ventures can contribute to Island County’s economic diversification and job growth.