Indian startup launches fake food-ordering site to tap dopamine-driven cravings

Indian developers Purvansh Parmar and Anshul Sharma launched FoodNeverComes, a website that lets users browse menus, add dishes to a cart and watch a fictitious delivery, but never receives food. Since its June debut, the site has logged more than 2.7 million visits, offering 22 kitchens, 327 dishes and fake pricing. It is part of a broader “dopamine sites” movement that originated in South Korea and now includes fake shopping, haul, and travel sites such as TripNeverLeaves.

Researchers like Ravi Dhar and Kent Berridge describe the phenomenon as “anticipatory utility” and “incentive salience,” where the brain’s dopamine system fuels the desire to obtain rather than the enjoyment of the item. Psychiatrists warn that repeated simulated ordering may reinforce addictive patterns, though it could also serve as a harmless outlet for cravings. The founders plan to keep the sites free and eventually share usage data with neuroscientists.