Preeda App

At first, I tried to host the app's data on a server, which I thought would make things easier and more dynamic. However, I quickly became frustrated with how slow the Preeda server was when actually using it in practice. It caused delays when accessing cocktail recipes, and the experience became clunky. On top of that, hosting the server myself was a struggle, relying on home Wi-Fi was unreliable, and the whole setup felt like more work than it was worth. It became clear that managing a server just to store and serve some data wasn't the best approach.

That’s when I decided to simplify things. Instead of dealing with the headache of a server, I switched to using Google Sheets API directly through the app. It allowed me to manage and update the cocktail recipes in a familiar environment (Google Sheets), while the app handled all the data conversion and presentation. This stripped-down, more efficient setup cut out the need for a server entirely, while still providing all the functionality we needed.

The result is this Android App, a tool that bartenders can use to quickly search, browse, and view recipes in real time. It’s fast, reliable, and much easier to maintain, all while ensuring that the data is always up-to-date.

Looking back, I’m glad I decided to pivot away from the complex server-based solution. By sticking with the bare-bones idea of using the Sheets API, the app is now far more practical and efficient. This experience taught me that sometimes, the simpler solution is the best one, and it’s something the future bartenders of Preeda will use every day to keep our bartending operations running smoothly.