The app Too Good to Go gives consumers a chance to save money on surplus food cooked at restaurants, preventing food waste, reports NBC 7 and Telemundo 20’s Sergio Flores.
Getting food online is much easier than cooking, especially if you’re crunched for time. But it’s also typically pricier, taking a bigger toll on already-strapped budgets.
There is an app that works in San Diego County to give consumers access to takeout at a fraction of the price.
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WATCH HEREIt’s called Too Good to Go and it helps local restaurants sell the excess food they cooked instead of throwing it away.
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SIGN UP You select the times you would like to pick up and the distance you’re willing to travel.
NBC 7 Responds placed some orders and found we could get three slices of pizza for the price of one in La Mesa; two bacon, ham, and egg burritos for $6 in San Diego; and a box full of rice and meat at Kujo Eats in National City.
Pro Tip: Cook the main dish at home and grab some sides at a discount off the app. We scored four sides from California Fish Grill for about $5, which included beans, rice, cole slaw, and corn.
Doughnuts are a popular find on the app. A box of a dozen doughnuts from Krispy Kreme cost us $7, compared to the usual $20. While you don’t get to choose the doughnuts, it can save you some cash when it’s your turn to feed your coworkers.
Nick Sceffl of La Mesa said he’s been a big fan of the app ever since his friend told him about it about a year ago.
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“She knows I’m a frugal guy and she said, ‘Nick, you’re going to love this app,’ and sure enough, my wife and I use it all the time,” he said.
He picked up three slices of pizza at La Mesa Pizzaworks.
Chris Leyvas, operating manager, explained they strive to always have a good, freshly baked selection of pizza slices. This means it’s not unusual for many slices to fall out of rotation, especially after the lunch rush hour.
“We’re not wasting as much food because, as much as we love our food, we can’t eat pizza every single day, and we don’t like throwing it out,” Leyvas said, standing behind the counter next to a bunch of pizza boxes.
He then greeted a customer who walked in with the app and gave her three pizzas wrapped in foil that were stored in a small refrigerator behind him. He said the customer won't know what toppings might be on each pizza.
“We kind of just mix and match, and then we wrap it up, we see how many packs we have, and then put them on the app,” he said as he greeted another customer.
He explained the company pretty much breaks even from the pizzas they sell off the app, but it’s important for them not to be wasteful.
Furthermore, He added that from a marketing standpoint, it’s always good to have new people go into the restaurant and try their food.
