App reduces food waste and saves money on takeout, groceries
"So far we've saved around 140,000 meals here in Philadelphia," said Gaeleen Quinn of 'Too Good to Go.'
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As the price of everything goes up, particularly food, there's a unique app aimed at cutting the cost while helping local businesses and the planet.
It's called 'Too Good to Go'. It started with restaurants, but grocery stores are now on board.
On the app, you can find all kinds of unsold food for at least a 1/3rd off the retail price.
Here in Philadelphia, more than 450 local businesses are on board -- from restaurants to bakeries and now grocery stores. The idea is to save us money, help the businesses recoup some lost sales, and save good food from landfills.
"So far we've saved around 140,000 meals here in Philadelphia. To give you an idea of why this is so important, this is the carbon footprint equivalent to over 60 flights around the world. That's the kind of impact that we're having," said Gaeleen Quinn of 'Too Good to Go.'
Here's the fun part. You go on the app and choose a "Surprise Bag" of random goodies from participating businesses. They range from $4 to $6.
I got more than $20 worth of food in my $5 surprise bag from DiBruno Bros. in Rittenhouse.
It included a whole chicken and mashed potato meal, a small Caesar salad and a piece of cake.
"That's typically what you get," says Emilio Mignucci, the vice president of DiBruno Bros. "We're minimizing waste and recouping some dollars. It's a win-win and the customer is happy."
Consumers also get to try new businesses and new foods -- saving it from becoming waste.
Those surprise bags change based on whatever doesn't sell at the end of every day.
