Where’s The Fun (WTF) is placing curated local guides directly inside hotels, Airbnbs, and short-term rentals, giving small businesses a way to be discovered by travelers who are already in the city and ready to spend. The platform, founded by Daniel T. Raczkowski, has generated over 100,000 website views in the last 30 days per city, with traffic flowing to independent restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, bars, boutiques, barbers, salons, spas, and local attractions.
The concept is simple: instead of relying on social media ads, search rankings, or marketing agencies, small businesses can be listed in a guide that travelers find where they are already looking for places to eat, shop, and explore. WTF partners with hotels, Airbnb hosts, short-term rental managers, and property owners to place the guide in front of visitors at the moment they are deciding where to spend their money.
The guide focuses on businesses that define a neighborhood’s identity: family-run and immigrant-owned restaurants, local coffee roasters, artisan bakeries, craft cocktail bars and breweries, fashion and gift boutiques, barbers and salons, spas and wellness providers, and activities like museums, tours, and kid-friendly attractions. These are businesses that often lack the budget for large-scale marketing but are the heartbeat of their communities.
WTF offers a listing for $50 per month with no contracts and no complexity. The listing includes a dedicated spot in the guide, exposure inside hotels, Airbnbs, and short-term rentals, and direct traffic from travelers and locals. The pricing is intentional: designed to be accessible to the smallest of small businesses, from mom-and-pop restaurants to independent stylists to local artisans.
Raczkowski’s background is in small business, not tech or marketing. He owned and operated two retail stores, The Mermaid Store, in Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, where he learned firsthand how difficult it is for small businesses to get visibility. He saw how much money small businesses waste on marketing that doesn’t work, how inconsistent digital platforms can be, and how travelers often want to support local businesses but don’t know where to find them. WTF was built to solve those problems.
“I believe that small businesses are the backbone of this country, this is what makes United States great. Everyone started as a small business. It’s time to give local communities opportunity to be seen.” said Daniel T. Raczkowski, founder.
What began in Orange County has expanded into Los Angeles County, Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Burbank, Pasadena, and the San Fernando Valley. The company is also developing partnerships with city economic development offices, tourism boards, chambers of commerce, hotel groups, and Airbnb host networks.
For travelers, WTF serves as a guide to local favorites. For small businesses, it offers a stable channel for foot traffic. The platform is a local guide for small businesses that connects them with visitors staying in hotels and short-term rentals.
WTF is not a directory, a coupon book, or a generic things-to-do list. It is a local economic engine that leverages the trust travelers place in hotel front desks and Airbnb hosts. By placing small businesses in front of a motivated audience, WTF aims to strengthen local economies and help travelers experience cities the way locals do.