Good food for a fraction of the cost. A mobile app is helping Houston residents score significant deals on restaurant meals and groceries while helping local businesses reduce food waste.
The app, “Too Good To Go,” connects users with local businesses offering surplus food at deeply discounted prices. Customers can purchase “surprise bags” containing food that would otherwise be discarded, often paying just a fraction of the regular price.
Recommended Videos
“I’ve had nothing but wonderful experiences,” says Martha Johnson, a regular app user.
“You go; you swipe. They make it super easy. Convenient, and then you’re in and out. And you get to enjoy a great treat or a great meal for a fraction of the cost.”
Local businesses embrace the platform
At BB’s Donuts, owner Eduardo Olivares uses the app to sell donuts and kolaches that would typically go unsold.
“Everything is made fresh every day,” Olivares explains. “It’s kind of hard to tell based on the flow of traffic what to make. We just kind of make more than enough. Sometimes there’ll just be stuff left over that we don’t want to just toss.”
Major retailers join the movement
The platform isn’t limited to small businesses.
Major retailers like Whole Foods Market have also joined the initiative, offering prepared foods, produce, meat, and even flowers through the app. Customers can select the type of items they want, though the specific contents remain a surprise until pickup.
Recent examples include deals such as:
- Three prepared meals from Snap Kitchen for $10 (regular price $30)
- Evening pickup options at Whole Foods for prepared foods at significant discounts
- Regular offerings from chains like Tiff’s Treats, Great American Cookie Company, Shipley’s, and Circle K stores
How it works
The app uses location services to show nearby participating businesses with available deals. Users must act quickly to secure their preferred options, as deals are time-sensitive and require pickup during designated windows.
Global impact
Launched in Copenhagen in 2016 as a food waste reduction initiative, “Too Good To Go” has grown to serve more than 100 million users worldwide and partners with 175,000 businesses globally. The app’s popularity has even spawned a trend on TikTok, where users share “reveal videos” showcasing their surprise bag contents.