New App Launches In Charlotte To Fight Food Waste & Help Local Businesses

CHARLOTTE, NC — Just off I-85 sits a vegan café in west Charlotte.

“This side of town was a food desert. So we picked this side to come over here and introduce the community to healthy eating,”  explained co-owner Dumar Hemingway.

Love In Action Cafe has been in business less than a year and a half. Like any new restaurant, the margins are razor thin. Also, like most restaurants, they throw away 4-10% of their leftover food each day.

When the company Too Good To Go came to the owners with a solution, it made sense and dollars.

“We like this for your health. It’s for the environment, it’s for the animals, it’s for everything,” said co-owner Ini Isangedighi.

Instead of a restaurant throwing out their food at the end of the night, the Too Good To Go app helps businesses sell food that food to customers at a fraction of the cost.

“We’ve been seeing this in businesses for years where they do kind of a day old bread bin or something like that. This is another way of getting that food into the hands of people who want it,” explained Too Good To Go spokesperson, Sarah Soteroff.

The company says nationally its helped save 11 million meals from the trash can, $38 million for business owners, and $120 million for customers.

“I actually feel like it’s a good idea. I feel like it’s a smart app,” continues Chase Mason, “as soon as this interview is over. I would like to actually download the app.”

The app launched in Charlotte on Wednesday.