Cook Privacy Policy

1. About The HomeTaste Cook App

The HomeTaste Cook app helps cooks and kitchen partners manage their cook account, kitchen profile, menus, dishes, availability, order activity, customer instructions, operational updates, support requests, and related platform services.

The HomeTaste operates as a marketplace and technology platform that connects customers with independent home cooks, kitchens, delivery partners, and support partners. Cooks and kitchen partners are responsible for preparing food in accordance with applicable food safety, kitchen, and business requirements.

This policy applies to cooks, home cooks, kitchen partners, and approved food business partners using the Cook app. Separate privacy information may apply to customers, drivers, delivery partners, or other business partners.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information needed to operate the Cook app, verify and manage cook accounts, support kitchen onboarding, display kitchen and menu information to customers, process orders, support payouts, provide platform support, and keep the platform safe.

3. Kitchen Address and Location Information

The Cook app may collect kitchen address, pickup address, business address, city, province, and service-area information that cooks or kitchen partners enter during onboarding or kitchen setup.

This information is used to support kitchen verification, order pickup, delivery coordination, service-area validation, operational planning, support, and compliance. We may share limited pickup or kitchen location details with delivery partners, internal support teams, or customers where needed to complete an order or resolve an issue.

The current Cook app privacy disclosures are based on address and operational location information entered by cooks or kitchen partners, not continuous live background location tracking. If we add device-based precise location, background location, or live location tracking in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and request any required device permissions.

4. Payment and Payout Processing

Payments and payouts may be processed through Stripe or other approved payment service providers. The HomeTaste does not store full credit card numbers, CVV codes, or full payment credentials on our own servers.

For cooks and kitchen partners, Stripe or another payment service provider may collect and process information needed to verify payout eligibility, process payouts, support refunds, manage disputes, prevent fraud, and comply with payment-related legal and security requirements.

The HomeTaste may receive limited payment and payout-related information such as account status, transaction IDs, payout status, refund status, dispute status, receipt information, and earnings summaries.

5. Why We Use Cook Information

We use cook and kitchen partner information for the following purposes:

• Creating, verifying, and managing cook accounts
• Authenticating cooks using phone number, OTP-based login, or other approved login methods
• Reviewing cook onboarding and kitchen setup information
• Displaying kitchen profiles, menus, dishes, pricing, availability, and related information to customers
• Processing, managing, and supporting customer orders
• Sharing necessary order information with cooks, kitchens, delivery partners, and support teams
• Processing cook payouts, earnings summaries, refunds, and dispute-related records
• Providing operational support and responding to questions or complaints
• Managing food safety, kitchen compliance, platform standards, and quality assurance
• Preventing fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, and platform abuse
• Sending order updates, transactional messages, support responses, and important account notices
• Maintaining business, tax, accounting, legal, food-safety, and operational records
• Improving app functionality, kitchen operations, customer experience, and platform reliability

6. Information We Share

We do not sell cook or kitchen partner personal information. We share information only where needed to operate the platform, complete orders, support customers and cooks, comply with law, or protect the safety and integrity of the service.

7. Customer Information Available to Cooks

To fulfill customer orders, cooks and kitchen partners may receive limited customer-related information such as customer name or first name, order details, dishes ordered, order notes, allergy notes, dietary notes, food restrictions, pickup or delivery timing, and limited support information where needed.

Cooks and kitchen partners must use customer information only for the purpose of preparing, managing, and fulfilling orders through The HomeTaste platform. Customer information must not be used for unrelated marketing, personal contact, off-platform communication, or any purpose not approved by The HomeTaste.

Cooks and kitchen partners are responsible for handling customer instructions carefully, especially allergy, dietary, and food restriction notes. This information may be sensitive and should only be accessed by people who need it to prepare or support the order.

8. Menus, Dishes, Reviews, Ratings, and User-Generated Content

Cooks and kitchen partners may upload or submit kitchen descriptions, stories, menus, dish names, dish descriptions, pricing, availability, photos, and other content through the Cook app or related services.

Some cook-submitted content may be displayed to customers or used in platform operations, customer support, marketing where permitted, or service improvement. Cooks and kitchen partners are responsible for ensuring that submitted content is accurate and does not include unnecessary sensitive personal information.

Customers may submit ratings, reviews, order notes, dietary notes, allergy notes, or other order-related content. This information may be shared with cooks, kitchens, delivery partners, or internal support teams where needed to prepare orders, improve service, manage reviews, or resolve issues.

9. Phone Number and OTP Login

The Cook app may use phone number and one-time password authentication to create, verify, and access cook accounts. We may use phone numbers for login, account security, operational support, order support, fraud prevention, and important transactional communication.

Where contact between cooks, customers, delivery partners, or support is required, we aim to limit contact information to what is needed for the specific order, support request, or operational issue.

10. Cookies, Tracking, and App Technologies

The Cook app and website may use cookies, local storage, device identifiers, notification tokens, or similar technologies to keep users signed in, support app functionality, remember preferences, send notifications, improve reliability, and protect the platform from fraud or misuse.

If we use analytics, advertising, or marketing technologies in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and any required app store disclosures.

11. Marketing and Communications

We may send transactional messages such as OTPs, order updates, payout updates, kitchen approval updates, support replies, account notices, operational notices, and safety-related messages.

Promotional or marketing communications will only be sent where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the unsubscribe option in the message or by contacting us.

12. How We Protect Information

We use safeguards designed to protect cook, kitchen partner, customer, order, payment, payout, and platform information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, and disclosure.

• User data collected by the app is encrypted in transit using secure connections where applicable.
• Payments and payouts are handled through Stripe or approved payment service providers, and The HomeTaste does not store full card numbers or CVV codes.
• Access to cook, customer, order, payout, and kitchen information is limited to authorized personnel and service providers who need it for legitimate business purposes.
• We use technical, administrative, and organizational safeguards to protect account, order, payment-related, payout-related, and compliance information.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect information using reasonable safeguards appropriate to the nature of the data.

13. Storage and International Processing

We may store and process information using secure cloud infrastructure and trusted service providers. Some information may be processed in Canada, the United States, or other countries where our service providers operate.

When information is processed outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction. We use safeguards designed to protect cook and kitchen partner information when working with service providers.

14. How Long We Keep Information

We keep information only for as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law.

15. Account Deletion

Cooks and kitchen partners can request deletion of their The HomeTaste Cook app account and associated personal data.

To request account deletion, please visit:

Request Cook Account Deletion

Account deletion requests may require verification of account ownership. After verification, we will delete, anonymize, deactivate, or restrict access to personal information associated with the account where possible.

Some records may be retained where required or permitted by law, including records needed for tax, accounting, payouts, payment disputes, fraud prevention, customer support, legal compliance, food safety, kitchen operations, order history, and platform safety obligations.

If your Cook app account is linked to active orders, active menus, pending payouts, unresolved disputes, customer support issues, or kitchen operations, we may need to complete, cancel, deactivate, or review those records before final account deletion is processed.

At this time, we provide an account deletion request process. We do not currently provide a separate self-serve option for cooks to delete only some categories of data while keeping the Cook app account active.

16. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable law, cooks and kitchen partners may request to access, correct, update, or delete certain personal information. Cooks and kitchen partners may also withdraw consent for certain non-essential uses of information, where applicable.

To make a privacy request, contact us at:

info@thehometaste.ca

We may need to verify your identity before completing a privacy request. Some information may not be deleted if we are required or permitted to retain it for legal, accounting, safety, fraud prevention, support, payout, compliance, or dispute-resolution purposes.

17. Children and Minors

The HomeTaste Cook app is intended for cooks, kitchen partners, and business users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children or minors through the Cook app.

If we learn that a minor has created a Cook app account or provided personal information, we may close the account and delete or limit the information as appropriate, subject to legal, safety, and compliance requirements.

18. Privacy Breaches

If a privacy breach creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and report to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as soon as feasible, where required by applicable privacy law.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our app, services, legal requirements, or business operations.

If we make material changes, we may notify cooks and kitchen partners through the app, by email, or by updating the effective date on this page.

20. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how The HomeTaste handles cook or kitchen partner information, please contact us:

This Privacy Policy applies to The HomeTaste Cook app and related cook, home cook, and kitchen partner services. Separate policies or additional notices may apply to customers, drivers, delivery partners, and other business partners.