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Sometimes food in Miami is simply too good to go. Now, there’s an app for that

Riley Kaminer
Riley Kaminer
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By Riley Kaminer

The US wastes an estimated 40% of the food it produces. This means that about 133 billion pounds of food are wasted each year, with a value of over $161 billion.

Beyond this economic impact, food waste is a major contributor to climate change. When food is wasted, it decomposes in landfills and releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

In Miami-Dade alone, we cart 15,000 tons of household trash each month all the way to a landfill near Lake Okeechobee because our local landfills are nearing capacity.

Danish app Too Good To Go aims to help us curb this waste while also enabling more Miamians to enjoy some of our city’s most delicious grub.

The startup, founded in 2016, launched in Miami unofficially in October 2022 before a full launch in February. Since its launch, it has saved over 60,500 meals and welcomed more than 170 partners, helping local businesses earn upwards of $230,000 from surplus food. For Miami residents, the savings are also substantial, with over $700,000 saved on food that would typically be sold at full price.

Its success in Miami is a precursor to the app’s upcoming expansion in Tampa and Orlando, noted Sarah Soteroff, the Senior PR Manager for the US and Canada. “We’re hyper global but also super local,” she told Refresh Miami, noting that while the aim is to reduce food waste globally, the service is fundamentally local, with offerings on the app reflecting the distinctive food scene of each city.

Too Good to Go’s growth strategy is community-focused and hands-on. Soteroff explained that team members walk into local cafes and discuss the extent of food waste directly with store owners, encouraging downloads of the app so that users can see its functionality in action. 

The app showcases a variety of food options from convenience stores to grocery stores to taco places, featuring items that might otherwise be discarded, like buffet items, grocery produce, and unsold baked goods – the latter being the most popular category. Users reserve a “Surprise Bag” of assorted items to be picked up at a specific time later in the day.

In Miami, the app’s users have shared that “Delicious Food” and “Great Value” are the primary reasons for their positive feedback, with an average rating of 4.51 and an average Surprise Bag price of $6.30. Notably, 41% of the supplying stores in Miami are bakeries and cafes, higher than the national average, with the Upper East Side being the neighborhood with the most meals saved.

The company’s growth is a testament to its innovative approach. The app transitioned from a web platform to a fully functional mobile app, providing users and partner companies with significant flexibility and valuable data on their sustainability impact. This includes insights into CO2 reduction, water and cropland savings, and even the equivalent in cell phone chargers saved. These details are not only informative but also serve as an additional marketing arm for partners, allowing them to share their positive impact on social media and other platforms.

Too Good To Go has a workforce of 1,000 employees globally, with 100 in the US. Around five of these employees are based in the South Florida area.

Soteroff is enthusiastic about the potential for expansion and the opportunity to amplify the company’s message. “The growth is really exciting,” she said.

With rising food costs and inflation altering everyday food consumption, Soteroff asserted that the app provides a dual benefit: saving food and saving money. For small businesses, it activates more control over profits and impact, signaling a scrumptious future for Too Good To Go’s presence in Miami and beyond.

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Riley Kaminer
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