Chicago, IL (July 14, 2021) – Too Good To Go, the tech-for-good company powering the world’s #1 app for fighting food waste, today announces its official launch in Chicago, calling on everyone in the Windy City to join the fight against food waste in an easy, fun and impactful way. Since the B Corp’s U.S. launch ten short months ago, the app has already amassed over 1 million users and over 4,200 partners in eight major cities across the East and West Coast, including, New York City, Boston, D.C., San Francisco, Seattle and Portland.

The Too Good to Go app, available for iOS in the Apple store or Google Play for Android, connects consumers with surplus from restaurants, bakeries, cafes and grocery stores at the end of each business day, so delicious food doesn’t go to waste. Customers can browse participating locations, reserve and pay for a Surprise Bag on the app. Then, they can head to the store during the pick-up window, which is based on each location’s closing time. The contents of each Surprise Bag vary daily and app users can expect to get a range of products at one-third of the retail value—from a bag of fresh fruit and vegetables, three pizza slices or a couple of extra sushi rolls, to a pint of gelato or an assortment of pastries. Moreover, stores can update the amount of surplus they have in real-time, based on how sales are going throughout the day.

Liberation Donuts, Deep Purpl, Bonci, Bittersweet Pastry, Budlong's Hot Chicken, Groundswell, Maison Parisienne and many more are among the first wave of Chi-town establishments to join the food waste revolution. All participating locations can now be found as dots on the Chicago map in the app, and are ready for users to start reserving Surprise Bags today.

“At Liberation Donuts we've opted for recyclable and compostable packaging, but food waste was a tougher issue to tackle with fresh pastries,” said Natalie Slater, Marketing Manager at Liberation Donuts. “Too Good To Go has helped us to reduce food waste while also getting our donuts into more people's hands.”

On an individual level, each Chicagoan wastes an average of 20 pounds of food per month, which equates to 55 million pounds of food waste monthly. This means, in Chicago alone, over 660 million pounds of food is wasted every year. Globally, if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and this trend is only getting worse (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). The need to raise more awareness of food waste’s implications on climate change is crucial, while offering tangible ways consumers can take action. Too Good To Go helps fill the gaps in the food supply chain, while also playing an important role in the food rescue ecosystem.

“We are so excited to launch in an iconic U.S. city with such a dynamic food scene,” said Lucie Basch, Too Good To Go co-founder. “We already have an incredible group of partners on board, and we hope the people of Chicago will join us in fighting food waste, one delicious bite at a time.”

The unfortunate reality is that there’s an abundance of food waste, and given the magnitude, Too Good To Go believes everyone has a part to play in the food rescue ecosystem. The B-Corp works hand-in-hand with hunger-relief organizations in every city where it operates. In Chicago, the company is proud to partner with Greater Chicago Food Depository and support their mission to end hunger in Chicago and Cook County for good. Too Good To Go also works with Rethink Food, The Greater Boston Food Bank, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Food Lifeline and Oregon Food Bank to support communities affected by food insecurity.

The platform gives consumers a fun, easy way to make an impact, store owners can profit from fresh food that would otherwise be tossed and everyone is helping the planet (food waste contributes to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions)—it's a win-win-win. In fact, picking up just one Surprise Bag is equivalent to the carbon footprint of charging one smartphone fully 422 times.

Already available in 15 international markets including Paris, London, Copenhagen, Madrid and Amsterdam, Too Good To Go has quickly become the go-to for conscious consumers and businesses around the world, resulting in more than 41 million app downloads and over 82 million meals saved to date. Additionally, the app has built strong momentum in its first eight U.S. cities—Americans have already saved over 493,000 meals.

Following the launch in Chicago today, Too Good To Go will launch in Austin later this month, followed by Atlanta and L.A. in September, with further plans to be in many of the largest U.S. cities by the end of 2021.

ABOUT TOO GOOD TO GO

Too Good To Go is the certified B-Corp and tech-for-good company powering the world’s #1 app for fighting food waste to create a greener planet. The app connects consumers to surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away from local restaurants and grocery stores, such as pastries, fresh produce, sushi and more. Each meal rescued is equivalent to the carbon footprint from charging one smartphone fully 422 times. Founded in 2016, Too Good To Go has saved over 82 million meals across 15 countries, which adds up to 328 million pounds of food. Beyond the app, Too Good To Go has launched initiatives to change date labeling on food, produced free educational resources for schools and inspired households to change food waste behaviors. Visit https://toogoodtogo.com/en-us for more information and follow Too Good To Go on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.