TheOwlBay
Who brings what
Who brings what is the potluck job: paste guests, paste categories such as main, side, dessert, and drink, pin allergy notes, then generate assignments you can print. It is not who pays — that page rotates a bill. It is not a shop. Assignments use a shuffle with crypto.getRandomValues. Names and pins stay in localStorage on this device. Friendsgiving, office lunches, and class parties can reuse the same lists until you clear them.
Why who brings what is not who pays
A potluck fails when everyone brings chips or nobody brings a main. Who brings what exists to cross guests with dish categories so the table has a spread. Who pays answers a different fight after a restaurant meal. The pair generator makes couples, not casseroles. Pin allergies so a note sits on the printout instead of living in a buried chat. We do not scrape recipes or order groceries. Categories are whatever you type: main, side, dessert, drink, or “plates and ice.” Thanksgiving 2026 in the US is 26 November; Friendsgiving often needs this page a week earlier. If the group is paying for takeout instead of cooking, open who pays. TheOwlBay does not host your event RSVP list in the cloud.
How to assign the potluck
Paste guests one per line and dish categories one per line. Add pin allergies or must-bring notes if someone cannot be near nuts or has already claimed a dish. Press assign dishes. Read the result, then print for the fridge or the group chat screenshot. If either list is empty the page asks you to add guests and categories. Generate again for a new shuffle; pins stay as notes, they are not a second random engine. Names and categories are stored in localStorage. Share a result URL if it fits; a long guest list may be better printed. Edit a category name if your culture does not use “potluck” — the math is still guests × categories.
How guests meet categories
The split engine shuffles guests with crypto.getRandomValues and walks them through the category list so assignments cover the spread as evenly as the counts allow. If there are more guests than categories, some dishes get more than one person. If there are extra categories, some may wait for a second generate after you add names. Pin text is displayed with the result; it is not parsed as medical advice. We do not claim a perfect allergen database. Nothing is uploaded unless you share a link. localStorage is this browser only. Print uses the browser print dialog.
Who this potluck tool is for
Office Thanksgiving, class parties, church suppers, and friend groups who are tired of three desserts and no protein. It is for hosts who can paste names they already have. It is not a calendar hold, a dietary medical tool, or a payment request. Teachers can assign snack categories for a celebration; they may still want the classroom timer for setup. If you needed seating at a wedding dinner, that is wedding seating, not this page. If you needed football squares for the same party, that grid is a different URL. TheOwlBay will not message your guests. Copy the printout into the thread you already use.
FAQ
Is this the same as who pays?
No. Who pays rotates a restaurant bill. This page assigns guests to dish categories for a potluck.
How do allergies work?
Type notes in pin allergies. They print with the assignments. The tool does not validate medical information.
What if I have more guests than categories?
Some categories get more than one guest. Add more category lines if you want a finer split.
Can I print the list?
Yes. Press print after you assign dishes. You can also generate again for a new shuffle.
Where is the guest list stored?
In localStorage on this device. Assignments use crypto.getRandomValues. No account.