KC’s worst food is wasted food: New app helps restaurants keep meals out of the trash can

Kansas City diners can soon dig into affordable, delicious food while helping the planet. Too Good To Go, the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, will officially launch Nov. 13 in Kansas City.

The app connects local food businesses with surplus food to consumers who can buy Surprise Bags of that food for half the retail price, helping businesses recover lost revenue and reducing food waste’s environmental toll.

“Too Good To Go started with the goal of reducing food waste wherever it occurs,” said Sarah Soteroff, senior PR manager at Too Good To Go. “Our model benefits businesses by letting them recoup revenue they would otherwise lose from unsold food, provides consumers access to great food at a steep discount, and reduces the environmental impact of food waste.”

Launched in 2016 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Too Good To Go expanded to the U.S. in 2020. It now has a presence in 33 cities across the country. With its latest round of expansion, Kansas City joins a network of cities working with the platform to transform leftover food into a win-win-win for consumers, businesses, and the environment.

Photo courtesy of Too Good To Go

Unwrapping the Surprise Bag

The core of the Too Good To Go model is the Surprise Bag — a one-of-a-kind curated collection of a business’s surplus food, ranging from baked goods to prepared meals, that consumers can purchase for a fraction of the retail cost. 

The unpredictability of food waste inspired the Surprise Bag concept, said Soteroff, as it gives businesses the flexibility to sell whatever is left over each day, whether that’s 10 extra bagels from a bakery or fresh produce from a grocery store.

“This model allows you to sell bags of surplus without needing to itemize or take new photos, which saves businesses time,” she explained. “If you’re a bakery with $15 worth of unsold items at the end of the day, you can list a Surprise Bag on the app for just $4.99, helping you turn what would have been food waste into revenue.”

For each Surprise Bag sold, businesses keep the majority of the revenue, with Too Good To Go taking a nominal fee. While the savings on any individual bag could seem small, Soteroff noted, the model’s cumulative effect can add up to a significant difference for Kansas City food sellers.

KC joins Too Good To Go

Photo courtesy of Too Good To Go

Kansas City’s strong food scene and community-centric business landscape made it an ideal next step for Too Good To Go’s expansion, Soteroff explained. 

“We look for cities with a vibrant mix of food businesses, a robust downtown core, and a connected community,” she said. “In Kansas City, we saw all of that — from favorite local spots to larger grocery stores; the variety here means everyone has something to gain from using the app.”

Several Kansas City businesses are already offering Surprise Bags in the app’s pre-launch phase.

Its official launch Wednesday is expected to bring an even wider selection of local favorites, including spots in and around downtown Kansas City and the Country Club Plaza, making the platform even more accessible.

Click here to download the the app and begin exploring food that’s Too Good To Go.

Preston Thomas, Bay Boy Specialty Sandwiches; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Bay Boy serving sustainable bites

Bay Boy Specialty Sandwiches, 4706 Holly St., near the Country Club Plaza; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Bay Boy Specialty Sandwiches, located on the Plaza, recently joined the Too Good To Go initiative as part of its commitment to reducing food waste.

“Food waste is something that I’ve been trying to tackle for a good amount of time in my tenure,” said Preston Thomas, manager at Bay Boy.

After learning about the initiative, Thomas invited Too Good To Go representatives to present their solution at Bay Boy’s weekly manager meeting.

“When they came to me telling me that the goal of the company is trying to save meals, that really stuck out to me, because I think that food wasted is the only kind of bad food that there is,” he said.

Now, customers can access fresh, unsold items at discounted prices, including fresh-baked bread and in-house sliced bacon in Bay Boy’s Surprise Bags, which would otherwise go to waste.

 

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Building a greener future together

Globally, food waste is a leading contributor to climate change, with significant greenhouse gas emissions generated from decomposing food. Too Good To Go’s mission is to tackle this issue head-on by empowering consumers and businesses to work together.

“We’re working within an industry where tight margins are the norm,” said Soteroff. “In Kansas City, food businesses are keenly aware of rising costs and the pressures that come with food waste. Too Good To Go helps alleviate some of that by turning surplus into an opportunity rather than a loss.”

The app also offers businesses insights through customer feedback, allowing them to refine their offerings based on what resonates most with consumers.

“In many cases, businesses see not only savings from the app but also new customers who later come back to buy full-price items,” she added. “It’s really a way for food sellers to grow while reducing their environmental impact.”