AllGo founder Rebecca Alexander wants to take the anxiety out of going out

ROCK CREEK, Ore. (KOIN) — There’s a new Portland-based app that wants people of all shapes and sizes to enjoy comfortable dining experiences.

AllGo is a mobile crowd-sourced review app similar to Yelp but it caters specifically to plus-sized people. Users share their reviews to help others find plus-size-friendly restaurants.

Rebecca Alexander came up with the idea for AllGo after struggling to find the information she needed on traditional online review websites.

Rebecca Alexander, founder of the mobile app AllGo, July 24, 2019. (KOIN)

She used to work in non-profit fundraising and frequently met potential donors at new places she had never been to. Not knowing what to expect caused a lot of anxiety.

Alexander told KOIN 6 News about one such meeting in which she arrived at a restaurant to meet a donor, only to find the person was already sitting in a booth.

“The table and booth didn’t move and it was too small for me to fit. It was the first time I was in a meeting in a professional capacity and trying to put my best foot forward,” Alexander said. “I had to start off the meeting asking them to move from a booth to a table.”

Rebecca Alexander, founder of the mobile app AllGo, July 24, 2019. (KOIN)

After that meeting, Alexander started combing through online photo reviews for help.

“I was scrolling through pictures of ravioli, looking for pictures of a chair and was like — there’s gotta be an easier way to do this.”

Spurred into action by these stressful situations, Alexander raised $55,000 through a Kickstarter campaign in just 19 days to build the AllGo platform.

She introduced the app last year — and has already caught the attention of big names like The New York Times.

AllGo is currently offered only in the Portland area but Alexander hopes to take it nationwide by September.

Rebecca Alexander shows KOIN 6 News the AllGo app, July 24, 2019. (KOIN)

The accompanying website — Can We All Go — includes more information about the app as well as an online store for plus-sized merchandise and a blog about issues and experiences plus-sized people face.

“Our worlds don’t have to be limited by our body size,” she said. “We can figure out ways to go out and enjoy life.”