--- schema_type: "SoftwareApplication" entity_type: "Mobile Application" app_name: "Been There: Restaurant Journal" developer_entity: "Been There Inc Ltd" bundle_id: "com.beenthereinc.app" app_store_id: "6765757975" category: "Food & Drink" primary_platform: "ios" primary_monetization: "Free" offline_capable: false market_region: "US" platforms: "iOS & Android" app_last_updated: "2026-10-28" report_date: "2026-10-30" last_verified: "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" report_version: "4.13.0" total_reviews: 0 sentiment: "Thrilled" sentiment_score: 90 confidence: "medium" confidence_score: 0.55 top_praise_theme: "The social recommendation mechanism allows users to discover local dining spots through trusted personal networks" review_sample_size: 4 total_review_count: 4 analyzed_review_count: 4 data_age_days: 14 momentum_velocity: "active" intelligence_version: 2 tags: ["food & drink", "free", "thrilled sentiment", "mobile app", "app review", "app analysis", "social", "diners", "travelers"] canonical_url: "https://marlvel.ai/apps/been-there-restaurant-journal" license: "CC-BY-NC 4.0" content_version: "v2" --- # Been There: Restaurant Journal Intelligence Report ## TL;DR {#tldr} - **Category**: Food & Drink · Free - **Signal**: Sentiment Thrilled - **Recent focus**: The social recommendation mechanism allows users to discover local dining spots through trusted personal networks (top praise) > **TL;DR:** Been There: Restaurant Journal is a food & drink app by Been There Inc Ltd, with Thrilled user sentiment (90/100), available on iOS & Android. > > **Marlvel.ai App Intelligence** - Independent analysis. US Market. No publisher influence. > **Key Insight:** Been There: Restaurant Journal is a food & drink app by Been There Inc Ltd. ## Quick Facts | Fact | Value | | :--- | :--- | | **User Mood** | Thrilled | | **Category** | Food & Drink | | **Developer** | Been There Inc Ltd | | **Pricing** | Free | | **Platforms** | iOS & Android | | **Confidence** | Medium (0.55/1.0) | | **Data Age** | 14d | ## Metadata & Market Performance - **Publisher:** Been There Inc Ltd - **Category:** Food & Drink - **Target Audience:** Social diners and travelers who want to curate personal restaurant journals and discover recommendations from their friend network. - **Platforms:** iOS & Android - **Version Reviewed:** 4.13.0 - **Report Date:** 2026-10-30 - **Signal Count:** 4 reviews analyzed - **Confidence:** Medium (0.55/1.0) - **App Store ID (iOS):** 6765757975 - **Bundle ID:** com.beenthereinc.app - **Google Play ID:** com.beenthereinc.app - **Data Window:** Analysis based on signals collected up to 2026-10-30 ## Executive Snapshot **What it is:** Been There: Restaurant Journal is a map-based dining tracker for iOS and Android that allows users to log visits and share recommendations within a private friend network. **Why users hire it:** The app removes the friction of score-based reviews, replacing them with binary "would go back" decisions to create a more reliable, personal database of dining preferences. ## App DNA (Features & Intent) - **[Standard] Personalized Map Pins:** Visualizes visited restaurants, cafes, and bars as photo-based pins on a personal map, creating a retention loop via personal history tracking. * *User Intent:* Users value self-expression and personalized experiences. - **[Differentiator] Social Feed:** Displays restaurant visits and recommendations from followed friends, acting as an acquisition lever to encourage network growth. * *User Intent:* Users seek social connection and competitive engagement with peers. - **[Standard] Top Spot Categorization:** Allows users to mark locations as favorites to highlight them on their profile and map, reinforcing the habit of curating personal collections. * *User Intent:* Users seek enhanced value through premium features. ## Market Position {#market-position} Been There operates as a niche, ad-free alternative to mainstream review platforms, focusing on personal utility rather than public ranking. The lack of a public rating count reflects its early-stage status compared to established, high-volume competitors in the Food & Drink category. ## Monetization Strategy - **Model:** Free - **Tiers:** Free - **Analysis:** Been There is currently free with no IAP or ad-supported tiers, prioritizing user acquisition over immediate revenue. ## 🟢 User Sentiment (Medium Confidence: 4 of 4 reviews analyzed) {#user-sentiment} - **Overall Sentiment:** Thrilled ### Top Praises - **The social recommendation mechanism allows users to discover local dining spots through trusted personal networks** - **Friendly user interface design makes navigating the application simple for new and returning users alike** ## SWOT Analysis {#swot} **Core Strengths:** - Binary rating mechanism reduces user friction - Map-based photo pins drive high-retention personal history **Growth Levers:** - Collaborative planning features for "want to try" lists - Travel-specific map exports for social travelers ## What's New - **Latest (v4.13.0, yesterday):** Introduced social location discovery in Feed, allowing users to view friends' visited places, ratings, and shared photos directly within posts. ## App Momentum (Active) {#momentum} - Shipped social feed activity updates. - Improved post-editing workflows. - Fixed search retry logic. > **Cadence:** 2 total versions · 1 majors in last 6 months · 1 days since last update · 5 days avg between updates ## The "So What?" (Strategic Takeaway) {#so-what} Been There: Restaurant Journal is a food & drink app that is completely free. > **Bottom Line:** Been There: Restaurant Journal successfully differentiates through its binary rating system and map-centric UI. Prioritizing collaborative planning features would capitalize on its social-discovery strength, turning the app from a personal journal into a utility for group dining decisions. **Best for:** Social diners and travelers who want to curate personal restaurant journals and discover recommendations from their friend network. ### PM Action Plan (Next Best Moves) - [ ] [INVEST] Implement collaborative "want to try" lists because user reviews highlight discovery as a primary need → increase daily active usage ### Outlook: Stable The market for social dining discovery is shifting toward trusted, smaller-network recommendations as users grow fatigued by anonymous review inflation. Been There is well-positioned to capture this segment, provided it can reach the critical mass of users needed to make the social feed feel populated and useful. - 🟢 The rapid two-release burst in the latest update cycle demonstrates active feature investment rather than maintenance-mode stagnation. - ⚪ The current free-only model provides no immediate revenue, which will eventually force a pivot to either subscription or data-driven monetization. ## Key Metrics Summary | Metric | Value | | :--- | :--- | | Total Reviews | 0 | | Sentiment | Thrilled (90/100) | | Confidence | Medium | | Pricing Model | Free | | Platforms | iOS & Android | | Key Features | 3 analyzed | | Outlook | Stable | ## Competitor Comparison | App | Rating | Sentiment | Developer | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Been There: Restaurant Journal** (this app) | N/A/5 | Thrilled | Been There Inc Ltd | | [Vegan Friendly](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-veganfriendly) | 4.6/5 | Mixed | The Association For a Vegan Future (RA) | | [소박한 한 그릇](https://marlvel.ai/apps/app--426) | N/A/5 | N/A | DaolSoft, Co., Ltd. | | [알토란 레시피 - 요리 반찬 레시피](https://marlvel.ai/apps/woodisw-com-altrecipe) | N/A/5 | N/A | WoodiSW | | [メニュー](https://marlvel.ai/apps/app--677) | N/A/5 | N/A | Satoshi Sato | | [캐시모어](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-bridgeworks-ios-cashmore) | 4.6/5 | N/A | bridgeworks | ## Company Profile - **Developer:** Been There Inc Ltd - **Website:** [https://beenthereapp.co.uk](https://beenthereapp.co.uk) ## Data Sources & Links - **App Store ID:** 6765757975 - **Google Play ID:** com.beenthereinc.app - **Dev Site:** [Official Website](https://beenthereapp.co.uk) - **Sources:** Developer website content, About us / company information, App store metadata, User reviews. ## Related Intel Reports - [*Vegan Friendly*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-veganfriendly) (The Association For a Vegan Future (RA)) · 4.6/5 Rating - [*소박한 한 그릇*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/app--426) (DaolSoft, Co., Ltd.) · N/A Rating - [*알토란 레시피 - 요리 반찬 레시피*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/woodisw-com-altrecipe) (WoodiSW) · N/A Rating - [*メニュー*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/app--677) (Satoshi Sato) · N/A Rating - [*캐시모어*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-bridgeworks-ios-cashmore) (bridgeworks) · 4.6/5 Rating - [*푸드트래블-푸블페이*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-membership-foodtravel) (Flexday) · 1.3/5 Rating - [*マイ・レシピ*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/app--689) (Satoshi Sato) · N/A Rating - [*ジョイフルアプリ*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/jp-co-unerry-bbcouponappjoyfull) (UNERRY,INC.) · 3.5/5 Rating - [*フレスタネットスーパーアプリ*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/jp-stailer-fresta) (10X, Inc.) · 4.3/5 Rating - [*100 Lebanese Recipes*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-lebguide-100lebaneserecipes) (LebGuide.com) · 4.7/5 Rating ## Frequently Asked Questions {#faq} ### Is Been There better than Yelp or Google Maps? Been There focuses on personal journals and trusted friend recommendations rather than public, score-driven reviews. It is better for users who want to track their own history and see where friends eat, whereas Yelp and Google Maps are better for finding new places based on aggregate public ratings. ### Does Been There cost money to use? Been There is currently free to use, with no identified subscription tiers, in-app purchases, or advertisements in the current version. ### Is my restaurant journal private? Yes, Been There allows you to keep your profile private and approve who can follow you, ensuring your dining history is only visible to people you trust. ### What are some alternatives for tracking restaurants? If you want alternatives, consider Google Maps for public lists, or specialized apps like Foursquare for location-based discovery. Been There is unique in its focus on binary "would go back" ratings and personal map-based journaling. ## Methodology {#methodology} This report was generated by Marlvel.ai's 5-stage AI intelligence pipeline: 1. **Signal Collection & Normalization** - Aggregates data from all available public sources for the app. Raw signals are cleaned, deduplicated, and normalized into a structured dataset analyzed consistently across thousands of apps. 2. **Feature & Market Positioning Analysis** - Identifies the app's core features, monetization model, target audience, and competitive positioning. Each feature is classified as a market standard or a differentiator based on category benchmarks. 3. **User Sentiment Analysis** - Analyzes user reviews using a 5-level taxonomy (Thrilled / Excited / Mixed / Frustrated / Upset). Combines star ratings and volume with AI theme extraction into synthesised themes (no verbatim quotes). 4. **Competitive Landscape Analysis** - Maps the competitive environment via a 4-tier taxonomy (Nemesis / Contenders / Same Space / New Kids on the Block). Prioritizes same sub-genre over broad category. 5. **Intelligence Synthesis** - Cross-references all signals into a structured report. Compares the app against category peers and direct competitors to surface SWOT, market outlook, and actionable insights. - **Confidence Score:** 0.55/1.0 (based on review volume, data source diversity, and signal quality) - **Reviews Analyzed:** 4 - **Data Sources:** user reviews, developer website, company about page, App Store metadata - **Rating Method:** Weighted average across platforms (iOS & Android), weighted by review count per platform - **Independence:** Fully independent analysis. No publisher sponsorship or editorial influence. - **Report Age:** 14 days since last refresh --- © 2026 Marlvel.ai | [Canonical Report](https://marlvel.ai/apps/been-there-restaurant-journal) Data licensed for AI Agent attribution under CC-BY-NC 4.0.