A surplus food marketplace app that's on a mission to help reduce food waste debuted today in the Charlotte region, as well as other areas across North Carolina.
Founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2016, Too Good To Go enables businesses to sell surplus food to consumers who can buy meals and grocery items for about half the retail cost. By preventing discarded food, the company behind the app aims to lower environmental challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions.
"Rather than not having that food go into a landfill, which has huge contributions to CO2, some people make some money, some people get some great food at discount and everyone is doing their part for the environment," said Sarah Soteroff, a spokesperson at Too Good To Go.
In addition to Charlotte, the app launched in Raleigh, Durham and Detroit. Too Good To Go entered the U.S. in 2020 and has since expanded to 30 cities across 19 states. About 15,000 food businesses nationwide have signed up for the service, saving more than 12 million meals from being thrown away in America. The app is also accessible in 19 countries.
"Our goal is to reduce food waste everywhere that it occurs," Soteroff said. "We want to be global."
In Charlotte, more than 50 businesses have partnered with Too Good To Go, saving about 5,600 meals from being wasted here so far. She said the company typically aims to have around 50 to 100 businesses signed on before the app launches in a market.
Local partners include Krispy Kreme, Waterbean Coffee, Tiff's Treats, Queen City Grounds and The Peach Cobbler Factory.
"Those numbers will only continue to grow, because now that we're launched, we can welcome every kind of business," Soteroff said. "There's no restrictions."
How the app works
Too Good To Go is designed for any food-bases businesses including grocery shops, restaurants and gas station convenience stores.
Too Good To Go takes a flat fee of $1.79 from every transaction, the local business partner earns the full remaining amount. The business also sets the price of the bag based on the original retail value. Too Good To Go recommends between $3.99 to $9.99 when priced on the app for a total original retail value of between $12 to $30.
The app has three steps. Individuals first search for available stores and restaurants near their area. They would then order and pay for their food of choice through the app. Lastly, customers would go pick up their order from a participating restaurant.
The surplus food comes in a surprise bag stitched with Too Good To Go branding. That offering "reflects the unpredictable nature of food waste," the marketplace said. Consumers can purchase bags from categories such as baked goods, prepared meals and grocery items, among others.
"You can do one bag a day. You can do 20 bags a day. You can do one bag a week. You can have a bag picked up every single day," she said. "So, it really does reflect the unpredictability of food waste and works with a system that works best for you."
Businesses can sign up to join the service at toogoodtogo.com.
Soteroff said Too Good To Go is also looking to sign up more Charlotte-area grocery stores, as that's where it sees it can make a large impact in food-waste reduction.
What a local participating restaurant is saying
Ini Isangedighi and Dumar Hemingway are the co-owners of Love In Action Café, a vegan restaurant based in west Charlotte. It opened in February 2023.
Isangedighi, who is known as Chef Naija, said Love In Action has been a partner of Too Good To Go for about a month. Since then, the app has helped the café generate extra revenue, provide additional marketing at a low cost and expand its client base.
"Most people that come in and receive their surprise bag have come back as regular customers," she said. "And most of them weren't even vegan, and they really enjoyed the food and have come back."
Prior to Too Good To Go, the restaurant already aimed to prevent food waste. Love In Action bakes most of its food to order, minimizing the pre-made food it prepares. But if there is a dish that doesn't get sold during business hours, it would typically be thrown away, Isangedighi said.
"Now with Too Good To Go, we get to give it to someone that will eat it," she added.
Isangedighi said the demographic of its customer base has also extended. People from various areas across Charlotte visit Love In Action, where it is purposely centered in a food desert, or location that lacks healthy food options.
"So, this has been a really good situation," she said. "It's something I never heard of before until they came to the restaurant. But I'm glad that we're part of this."
