Ought to Your Café Signal Up To Too Good To Go?

Throughout social media, a brand new form of unboxing video is gaining traction. Smiling prospects reaching into paper luggage full of surplus sandwiches, pastries and pretzels, picked up not from the submit workplace, however from their native café. And sometimes, at a fraction of the same old worth.

These viral clips spotlight a rising pattern: using zero-waste meals apps. Among the many best-known is Too Good To Go, which describes itself because the world’s largest market for surplus meals. The platform companions with high-street names akin to Greggs and M&S.

Impartial cafés, bakeries, and eating places are additionally turning to those platforms — not solely to scale back meals waste, however to appeal to new audiences. So how do these apps work? And the way a lot can shoppers — and companies — anticipate to avoid wasting?

What’s Too Good To Go and the way does it work?

Meals waste is an enormous problem for hospitality. In response to Waste Managed, the meals service sector generates round 920,000 tonnes of meals waste yearly. 

In recent times, loads of zero waste meals apps have cropped up on {the marketplace}, like Olio and Karma, aiming to offer the answer to the issue. Simply the best-known is Too Good To Go, which now has 15 million registered customers within the UK.

The app works by permitting companies to supply prospects “shock luggage” of unsold objects at one third of the contents’ unique retail worth. 

Firms can join by creating an account via the app. You’ll then add your default typical provide, which you’ll be able to regulate all through the day relying in your leftovers. Customers then order a shock bag, which the enterprise units apart till the consumer is able to gather.

In 2025, Too Good To Go says that 42,000 UK organisations are actually energetic on its platform. 

It could be time to affix them. By March 2027, all UK corporations might want to adjust to new “Easier Recycling” guidelines. The rules intention to make sure that all industrial waste is correctly produced, saved, transported and disposed of with out harming the atmosphere. 

How a lot does it value for companies?

For companies, a part of the attract of zero-waste meals apps is the flexibility to revenue from inventory that may in any other case have gone within the bin. Even with items being bought at a 3rd of the value, most struggling cafes and market stalls would agree that any sale is best than no sale.

Nonetheless, it’s price noting that these platforms will not be solely free to make use of. Take Too Good To Go for example. It’s free to enroll, however after the primary three months, companies are charged a flat annual payment of £46.80 (together with VAT).

You’ll even be charged a fee on each sale. For shock luggage beneath £4.40, Too Good To Go takes a set payment of £1.09 (plus VAT). For these over £4.40, the payment will increase to 25% (plus VAT) of the value per bag bought.

You’ll additionally solely obtain fee on a quarterly foundation, which is one thing to pay attention to whenever you’re planning your money move forecast.

Free meals, free advertising

Charges apart, for a lot of organisations, the primary profit to zero-waste meals apps received’t truly be about clearing your pastries earlier than they go off. It’s additionally a option to get your enterprise on the app map, and appeal to new prospects from the platform’s consumer base.

Customers obtain the app and browse eateries close to them, constructing model consciousness. This might additionally result in full-priced gross sales, as there’s the chance to upsell different merchandise when the consumer is available in to gather their shock bag.

In response to a consumer survey carried out by Too Good To Go, 76% of surplus meals consumers then return as regulars; making it an unlikely buyer retention technique. 

And naturally, there are additionally advantages to your model repute. Environmental consciousness is rising amongst shoppers. In a single 2023 research by WRAP England, 63% of UK diners mentioned they have been involved about losing meals once they have been consuming out. 

Demonstrating that your organization is taking clear steps to scale back its carbon emissions will make it clear that you’re training your organization values, not simply professing them.