The rules of using SERVD.

SERVD (“we,” “us,” or “Servd”) is operated by Servd LLC. These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern your use of servdchefs.com, our mobile experiences, and any related services we offer (collectively, the “Platform”).

By creating an account, sending a booking request, accepting a booking, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms and by our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

We may change these Terms over time. If we make a material change, we’ll email you and post a notice at the top of this page at least 30 days before the change takes effect. The “Effective” and “Last updated” dates above will always reflect the version currently in force.

To use the Platform, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a resident of the United States. We do not currently support international diners or chefs.
• Have the legal authority to enter into a binding contract in your jurisdiction.
• Not be barred from receiving services under U.S. or other applicable laws (including OFAC-sanctioned individuals).

Chefs additionally must satisfy our vetting requirements (see Section 05).

SERVD is a marketplace. We connect people who want a private dinner in their home (“Diners”) with independent professional chefs (“Chefs”) who provide the cooking, serving, and cleanup. We are not a restaurant, a catering company, or an employer of Chefs.

When you book a Chef through the Platform, the contract for the meal itself is between the Diner and the Chef. SERVD facilitates that contract by holding payment in escrow, providing dispute resolution support, verifying Chef credentials, and operating the Platform’s tools. We do not supervise the meal in real time, prepare any food, or guarantee any specific outcome beyond what’s expressly stated in these Terms or the Servd Guarantee.

Chefs on the Platform are independent contractors of their own businesses. They set their own menus, rates, availability, and cancellation tier. They are responsible for their own taxes, insurance, food handler certifications, and compliance with local law.

You need an account to send a booking request, become a Chef, or access most of the Platform. Account creation goes through our authentication provider (Clerk). You agree to provide accurate information and to keep it current.

You are responsible for safeguarding your password and for any activity under your account. If you suspect unauthorized access, contact us immediately at security@servdchefs.com.

You may close your account at any time from your account settings. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms — see Section 14.

The booking flow. You browse Chefs, choose a menu, pick a date, and submit a booking request along with a 20% deposit. Your Chef has 24 hours to accept; until they do, your deposit is fully refundable on request.

Payment. Payments are processed by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number. Once your Chef accepts, the 80% balance is authorized on your card but not captured. It is captured 24 hours after the event finishes, subject to the cancellation policy.

The Servd Guarantee fee. Each booking includes an 8% Servd Guarantee fee on top of the Chef’s rate. This fee pays for the protections described on /guarantee (chef vetting, escrowed payments, day-of support, replacement- or-refund coverage if your Chef cancels, and the satisfaction reserve). The fee is paid by you, not deducted from the Chef’s rate.

Your obligations. You agree to provide accurate dietary information for every guest, a kitchen that meets the minimum equipment list shared by your Chef before service, and reasonable access to the service address at the agreed time. You agree not to engage in harassing, discriminatory, or unsafe behavior toward the Chef.

To accept bookings through the Platform, Chefs must complete our onboarding wizard and meet the following requirements at all times:

• Identity verification through our identity provider.
• A clear background check via Checkr, on the Essential package or better. Re-runs occur annually.
• A current food handler certification (ServSafe or state-equivalent).
• $1M general liability insurance with a food liability endorsement, issued through Thimble, Next Insurance, or an equivalent carrier we approve. Lapsed coverage auto-pauses your profile.
• A valid Stripe Connect account for payouts, with banking and tax information current.

Fees and payouts. SERVD takes 0% commission on your booking total. At launch, there is no chef subscription fee. SERVD reserves the right to introduce optional paid features in the future; we will give Chefs at least 30 days notice before any such feature becomes a paid product. Stripe’s standard payment-processing fees apply. Your payout for a completed booking is released 24 hours after the event ends and arrives in your bank account within 1–2 business days.

Your obligations. You agree to deliver each booking as confirmed (menu, guest count, timing, service address), to communicate promptly through the Platform’s messaging, to handle dietary information and food allergens with reasonable care, to maintain food-safety standards in the Diner’s home, and to comply with all applicable laws. You agree not to solicit Diners to book outside the Platform.

SERVD operates a universal cancellation policy with three windows that track a Chef’s actual sunk-cost curve. The policy in effect at the time of booking applies to that booking.

• 7+ days before the event: Full refund of your 20% deposit. The 80% balance is never charged.
• 2–7 days before the event: Your 20% deposit is retained by the Chef as a cancellation fee. The 80% balance is not charged.
• Less than 48 hours before the event: Your 20% deposit is retained AND the 80% balance is captured on the originally-scheduled event day. The Chef has already shopped, prepped, and turned down other bookings.

If the Chef cancels at any point after accepting your booking, you receive a full refund within 24 hours and we will attempt to place you with a replacement Chef where possible. Repeated Chef cancellations affect a Chef’s standing on the Platform.

Plain-language summary, examples, and the current shorthand live at /help. If anything differs between the help page and these Terms, these Terms control.

What you own. Chefs retain all rights in the menus, photos, and bios they upload to the Platform. Diners retain all rights in reviews and messages they create. By submitting content, you grant SERVD a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, and use it to operate and promote the Platform (including in marketing materials and search results) for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period afterward.

What SERVD owns. The Platform itself — including the SERVD name and logos, the look and feel of the site, the underlying software, and original written copy — is owned by Servd LLC. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without our written permission.

DMCA notices. Believe content on the Platform infringes your copyright? Email legal@servdchefs.com with the URL, a description of the work, a statement of good- faith belief, your contact information, and a signature.

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose, including the preparation of cannabis-infused food in jurisdictions where this is illegal.
• Harass, threaten, or discriminate against any user. SERVD is for everyone; bookings cannot be accepted, rejected, or priced differently on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
• Submit false information about your identity, location, dietary restrictions, food-safety credentials, or insurance coverage.
• Solicit Diners to book outside the Platform (Chefs) or attempt to evade the Servd Guarantee fee (Diners).
• Post reviews containing personal attacks, content that misrepresents the booking, or content that is otherwise false or misleading.
• Scrape, copy, reverse-engineer, or interfere with the Platform’s technology.
• Use the Platform to send unsolicited commercial communications of any kind.

Violations may result in suspension or termination of your account, forfeiture of pending payouts, and (where appropriate) legal action.

Diners are responsible for disclosing all known food allergies and dietary restrictions for every guest at the time of booking and again no later than 48 hours before the event. Chefs are responsible for accommodating disclosed dietary information with reasonable care, including taking commercially reasonable steps to avoid cross-contamination for declared allergies.

Despite these protections, private home kitchens are not certified allergen-free environments. SERVD does not warrant that any booking will be free of cross-contamination, and severe-allergy Diners should weigh that risk before booking.

The Platform is provided “as is” and “as available.” To the maximum extent permitted by law, SERVD disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted or error-free, that any specific Chef will be available at any specific time, or that any specific dinner will meet your subjective expectations. SERVD is not responsible for the acts, omissions, or content of any user, including Chefs and Diners.

Statements made by Chefs in menus, bios, and messaging are the Chef’s own and have not been independently verified by SERVD beyond the vetting items listed in Section 06.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither SERVD nor any of its officers, directors, employees, or contractors will be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages — including lost profits, lost data, or business interruption — arising out of or relating to your use of the Platform, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total cumulative liability to you for all claims arising out of or relating to the Platform is limited to the greater of (a) the total amount you have paid to SERVD in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) $250.

Two layers of liability coverage apply to each booking. The $1M general liability coverage that each Chef carries is the primary coverage for damages caused by the Chef during a booking. SERVD additionally maintains its own $1M general liability policy that extends to every booking on the Platform; this policy layers on top of the Chef’s policy. The Servd Guarantee describes the additional protections SERVD provides beyond either insurance layer.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SERVD, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claim, liability, damage, loss, or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from (a) your use of the Platform, (b) your breach of these Terms or applicable law, (c) any content you submit, or (d) your interaction with any other user.

Talk to us first. Before filing a formal claim against SERVD, you agree to attempt to resolve the dispute by contacting us at legal@servdchefs.com. We will work in good faith to resolve disputes within 30 days.

Binding arbitration. If we can’t resolve the dispute informally, you and SERVD agree to resolve the dispute through binding arbitration administered by JAMS under its Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures. Arbitration will be conducted in the city of SERVD’s principal place of business, or by video conference at your option. The arbitrator’s decision is final.

No class actions. You and SERVD agree that any dispute will be resolved on an individual basis only, and that neither party may bring a claim as a plaintiff or class member in a purported class or representative action.

Exceptions. Either party may bring claims in small-claims court for disputes within that court’s jurisdiction. Either party may also seek injunctive relief in court to protect intellectual property rights.

Opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration provision by sending written notice to legal@servdchefs.com within 30 days of first agreeing to these Terms. Your notice must include your name, email, and a clear statement that you are opting out.

You may close your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for conduct we believe violates these Terms, harms another user, violates the law, or otherwise materially threatens the Platform’s integrity.

Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including disclaimers, limitations of liability, indemnification, dispute resolution, and licenses to user content) survive.

Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Colorado, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any policies referenced here (including the Servd Guarantee), are the entire agreement between you and SERVD regarding the Platform.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full effect.

No waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.

Assignment. You may not assign these Terms. SERVD may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

Contact. Questions? Write legal@servdchefs.com.