Red Velvet Pancakes

Spoon University originated at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, a prominent US private research university. In 2012, during their junior year, students Mackenzie Barth and Sarah Adler—living in their first off-campus apartment and struggling with cooking—launched it as a food-focused platform for college students. It began as a print magazine and website centered on easy recipes, food news, restaurant tips, and student life hacks. By their senior year (2013), it had grown to over 100 student contributors on campus. The concept quickly expanded nationwide, spawning chapters at hundreds of colleges, becoming a student-powered food media network.