In ancient Rome, strangers carried a token called a tessera hospitalis — split in two between host and guest. When the halves matched, the door opened. No introductions needed.
Two thousand years later, we lost that system. We replaced it with star ratings, fake reviews, and algorithms that treat everyone the same. You could be a fifteen-year regular at your favorite spot back home, but the moment you step into a new city, you're a nobody.
Tessera exists because that's broken. We're building a platform where the places you depend on — the ones that know your order, save your seat, fit you in on a busy Friday — aren't the last ones to know who you are.
Not everyone carries the same Tessera. You earn your half. And that's what makes it worth carrying.