From Hobby Farm to Tech Innovator: How a Vernon Local is Solving the Appointment Crisis
For many service providers, last-minute cancellations can be devastating—empty slots mean lost income. On the other side, consumers in desperate need of a last-minute appointment often find themselves out of luck, endlessly calling around or searching online with no success. It’s a frustrating disconnect that affects livelihoods and leaves potential clients stranded.
Enter appointmentcake.com, the brainchild of a local Vernon entrepreneur who saw this pain point firsthand and decided to fix it.
Born in 1990 on a hobby farm in Lavington, near Vernon, BC, Anthony Teichroeb grew up homeschooled, graduating in 2008. While studying Psychology and Sociology at Okanagan College, he juggled a job at Sun Country Cycle alongside Bernie Draht and Mike Cochrane, unknowingly laying the groundwork for a career that would blend empathy with people-focused problem-solving.
In 2016, he pursued massage therapy at Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy (OVCMT), graduating in 2018. Starting his career at Crave Massage in Vernon, he quickly developed a passion for the profession. But it wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna in 2019 to join Affinity Wellness that inspiration struck.
“I was the new guy, struggling to build a clientele while watching my colleagues juggle full schedules—and constant cancellations,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘This doesn’t make sense. There are people out there who need these spots, and here I am twiddling my thumbs.'”
That “aha” moment sparked an idea. Drawing inspiration from GasBuddy, an app that helps drivers find the cheapest gas nearby, he imagined a platform that could connect clients to available appointment slots in real-time—not just for massage therapy but for any service industry.
But the journey wasn’t smooth. In December 2019, a severe ski accident at Big White left him with a blown knee (ACL, MCL, and meniscus) with a lengthy recovery and plenty of downtime. As Covid-19 began spreading, he started exploring ways to bring his vision to life. An initial attempt to collaborate with a team in New York stalled due to the global pandemic. Refusing to give up, he pivoted and partnered with Peter Vigilante and his Kelowna-based team, who took the reins on development.
By 2020, appointmentcake.com was officially born.
The app elegantly solves a simple but widespread problem: it allows businesses to fill last-minute cancellations while giving consumers real-time access to available spots. It’s a win-win that protects the livelihoods of service providers and helps clients get the services they need, exactly when they need them.
Since its inception, Appointment Cake has grown from a basic prototype to a polished, fully operational platform. In 2024, it earned Bronze in the Best of Kelowna’s Tech Startups, marking a major milestone for the “little guy” from Vernon who simply wanted to bridge a gap.
What started as a solution for massage therapists has now expanded to a range of industries—from salons and dental offices to fitness trainers and more. The team is growing, and the mission remains clear: to help small businesses thrive while making life easier for consumers.
“This wasn’t just about solving my own problem,” he reflects. “It was about creating something that genuinely helps people on both ends—because cancellations shouldn’t mean lost income, and last-minute needs shouldn’t go unmet.”
Already, appointmentcake.com boasts nearly 1,500 businesses and over 13,000 users, all connecting seamlessly to fill last-minute cancellations and open time slots. But for Anthony, this is just the beginning. His mission is to expand even further—bringing more businesses and users together in a way that helps people help each other. It’s not just about filling appointments; it’s about building a community where everyone wins.
In an era where tech giants dominate the market, Appointment Cake stands out as a grassroots success story—a homegrown solution to a real-world problem, built with heart, resilience, and a deep understanding of the community it serves. What started as a solution for one man’s frustration has grown into something that’s making a tangible difference for countless businesses and consumers alike, and Anthony’s journey is a testament to what can happen when innovation meets a genuine desire to help others.
