Bookalokal was founded in Brussels, Belgium in 2012 by Evelyne White (Co-Founder, CEO) and Frank Ramirez (Co-Founder, Product Manager). The capital of the European Union was chosen because of its large population of expats and food culture appreciation. In 2014, the founders of Booklokal, set their eyes on the U.S. market and chose Washington, D.C. as its first American city because it had many similarities to Brussels.