<RajVardhan/>
Back to catalog
Full Stack
2026-05-15

MessMate — SaaS Mess Operations Monorepo

A comprehensive SaaS solution for managing hostel mess operations, featuring digital signage displays, multi-role dashboards, and mobile-friendly student menu portals.

Inspect Source Code
MessMate — SaaS Mess Operations Monorepo Preview

The Problem

Hostel mess owners lack clean digital display systems for dynamic menus, and students struggle with outdated meal updates and announcements.

The Solution

Built MessMate, a multi-tenant SaaS monorepo offering 4K-ready TV displays, responsive student web apps, and complete administration portals for organization managers and mess owners.

Key Capabilities
  • Premium TV Display: 4K-ready, centers items dynamically, auto-switches meals, and handles midnight transition logic.
  • Student Mobile Web App: Tabbed navigation, native feel, and time-adaptive theming gradients.
  • Multi-Role Dashboards: Separate admin panels for Super Admins (organizations) and Mess Owners (billing/menus).
  • Security Hardened: CORS strict policies, rate limiting, and zero hardcoded links.

Technology Stack

Next.jsNode.jsExpress.jsMongoDBNPM WorkspacesTailwindCSSJWT Auth

Architecture & Detailed Implementation

MessMate is organized as a multi-client monorepo managed with NPM Workspaces, decoupling administrative tasks from public displays:

  1. Super Admin Dashboard (apps/admin-ui): A Next.js portal enabling platform operators to manage organizations, messes, and subscriptions.
  2. Mess Owner Portal (apps/app-ui): A Next.js app allowing individual mess owners to configure menus, manage billing, and post notices.
  3. Public Menu & Student App (apps/menu-ui): A Next.js interface displaying real-time menus for students (adaptive mobile layout) and high-resolution TV displays (optimized for canteens).
  4. Backend API (backend/): Express.js server providing JWT-based authentication, menu storage, and billing webhooks.
                  +-----------------------------------+
                  |          NPM Workspaces           |
                  +-----------------------------------+
                     /         |            \        \
                    /          |             \        \
              [admin-ui]   [app-ui]       [menu-ui]  [backend]
                  |            |              |          |
               (Super)      (Owners)       (Students)  (API)

Digital Signage & Signage Logic

The premium display interface features intelligent contextual switching based on timezone intervals:

  • Meal Auto-Switching: Automatically detects the current hour to render Breakfast, Lunch, Hi-Tea, or Dinner.
  • Midnight Logic: Dinner details are locked until 23:59, transitioning smoothly to tomorrow's preview at midnight to prevent confusion.
  • Dynamic Flex Layout: Smart grid system that centers food items perfectly regardless of the count.

Lessons Learned & Key Takeaways

Developing MessMate taught me multi-tenant monorepo orchestration with NPM Workspaces, building adaptive and dynamic TV UI layouts, and implementing secure role-based access across independent next.js apps.