A Charlotte startup maps the city's best and worst bathrooms
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Screenshots: TikTok/Colin Silvia
Colin Silvia has an opening question on TikTok that'll make you stop scrolling: "Would you poop here?"
Why it matters: It may sound like a joke, but Silvia is serious about making Charlotte the "most accessible city for clean and safe public bathrooms in the country."
State of play: Dootycall is his social media handle and the name of his new restroom review app, which he describes as if Waze and Yelp "had a baby" for bathrooms. It has collected 1,500 reviews in Charlotte since its launch last month.
- Silvia's TikTok and Instagram are full of videos reviewing bathrooms across Charlotte.
- In a video with 73,000-plus views, he rates the bathroom of the prominent two-story McDonald's across from SouthPark Mall. He describes the venue as "paradise," with sufficient legroom and toilet paper that "didn't miss," earning it four out of five stars.
How it works: The free Dootycall app maps bathrooms, making it easy for users to see how far they are from a 5-star — or dangerously close to a 1-star.
- Reviewers share when bathrooms are out of paper towels or, in other cases, when they offer plentiful supplies, even mints and toothpicks.
- Users can filter for baby-changing stations, accessible stalls and other features.
- The app is especially useful to cyclists and runners, delivery and rideshare drivers, and women who want to feel safe.
- Users can earn badges and coins, like Waze, to incentivize leaving reviews.
- To make revenue, Dootycall will highlight partner businesses, but Silvia says you could never pay for a good review.
Friction point: Some businesses don't want non-customers dropping into their bathrooms. But Silvia says he's heard positive responses from ones he's featured and is in conversations about partnerships.
- He argues that if an establishment is willing to publicize that its bathrooms are clean, it translates that its kitchen is clean, too.
- Users tend to note in the app if bathrooms are closed or require codes.
What he's saying: The best Charlotte bathroom, per Silvia's expertise, is The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Uptown. Or if he's near UNC Charlotte, "you couldn't get me out of that Marriott 5-star bathroom right at the beginning of campus."
- What makes a bathroom special? "Paper towels," Silvia tells me.
- "It's a business's way of being cheap if you just get air dryers," Silvia says. "It's just recycling air that sucks, and in a bathroom, you flush the toilets all day."
Context: 26-year-old Silvia's hustle comes from his background in door-to-door sales. It's also his inspiration for Dootycall.
- Constantly on the go and in unfamiliar areas, Silvia would find himself unsure of where to stop when he had to go to the bathroom. He's been building Dootycall while continuing in sales. His CTO and childhood friend, Brendan Carr, developed the app.
- "I'm one phone call away from this being my full-time job," he says.
What's next: Silvia's committed to his start in Charlotte, but he envisions Dootycall going "nationwide," with everyone knowing its toilet-paper mascot, hosting Dootyball 5ks and branding with Dootycall air fresheners.
