We collect only what we need. We never sell your data. Stripe handles payments. You can delete everything at any time.
Makinson Street ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and safeguard your personal information when you use our platform. This policy complies with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
Information We Collect
Personal Information You Provide:
- Account information: name, email address, phone number, profile photo
- Location data: address, zip code, and geolocation (with your consent) for matching you with nearby cooks
- Order history: meals ordered, order dates, pickup details, and preferences
- Payment information: processed securely through Stripe — we do not store your full credit card number
- Cook information: home kitchen permit details, food handler certifications, kitchen photos, menu items
- Communications: messages between cooks and diners, support requests, reviews
Information Collected Automatically:
- Device information: browser type, operating system, device identifiers
- Usage data: pages visited, features used, search queries, time spent on the platform
- IP address and approximate location derived from it
How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Match you with nearby cooks and personalize meal recommendations
- Process orders and payments
- Send order notifications, updates, and receipts
- Verify cook permits and food safety certifications
- Improve the platform through analytics and usage patterns
- Ensure food safety and respond to food safety concerns
- Prevent fraud and maintain platform security
- Communicate about new features, promotions, and platform updates
Information Sharing
We share your information with the following third-party services that are essential to operating Makinson Street:
- Stripe — payment processing, cook payouts, and financial compliance
- Firebase (Google) — user authentication and account management
- Cloudflare — image hosting and content delivery
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) — email and SMS notifications
- Google Maps — location services and distance calculations
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share anonymized, aggregated data for analytics purposes.
Cookies & Tracking
We use the following types of cookies:
- Essential cookies: Required for authentication, session management, and core platform functionality
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how users interact with the platform so we can improve the experience
You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features.
Data Retention
- Account data is retained for as long as your account is active
- Order history is retained for 3 years for tax and compliance purposes
- Messages are retained for 1 year after the last message in a conversation
- After account deletion, we retain anonymized data for analytics and may retain certain records as required by law
- Cook permit records are retained for the duration required by California law
Your Rights Under CCPA
As a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:
- Right to Know: You can request details about the personal information we collect, use, and share about you
- Right to Delete: You can request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
- Right to Opt-Out: You can opt out of the sale of your personal information — note that we do not sell personal information
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@makinsonstreet.com. We will respond to verified requests within 45 days.
Data Security
Your connection to Makinson Street is encrypted in transit (TLS). Sign-in runs through Firebase, so your password is never stored on our servers. Payments run through Stripe's PCI-certified checkout — your full card number goes straight to them and never touches our servers either. We review our own security regularly and fix what we find. None of that makes us unbreakable — no system is.
Children's Privacy
Makinson Street is not intended for users under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it. Users must be at least 18 years old to create a cook account.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or through a notice on the platform. The "Last updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when the latest revisions were made.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at support@makinsonstreet.com.