Too Good To Go's Western Canada Expansion Continues With Calgary Launch

Stampede City Joins the World's Largest Marketplace for Selling Surplus Food

CALGARY, AB, March 24, 2022  /CNW/ - Too Good To Go is entering the Calgary market with a Canadian record 100+ stores already active on the platform and ready to save food from going to waste. Calgary becomes the first city in Alberta, and the fifth city in Canada to welcome the surplus food app.

Too Good To Go connects businesses who have surplus food at the end of the day with consumers who purchase Surprise Bags of that food at ⅓ the retail cost. Businesses are able to recoup lost revenue they would otherwise incur by throwing out perfectly good food, consumers get to eat great food and try out new local spots and everyone is helping to lessen the impact of food waste on the planet.

Food waste is a global issue that is combated at the local level. Too Good To Go is proud to launch with Chunk'd Cookies, Lena's Italian Market, Artigano, Hoopla Doughnuts, and from the Teatro Group, Al Forno, Holy Cow and Vendome. More stores are added daily and customers are encouraged to check back often for new locations as expansion continues.

"We are floored by the reception we have received in Calgary thus far," said Sam Kashani, Too Good To Go Country Manager, "our partners are at the frontline of the fight against food waste. They know more than anyone how important it is to eliminate waste and how crushing it can be financially and emotionally to discard food that was lovingly prepared. Our Calgary launch partners were each carefully selected as representatives of the vibrancy of the city, its people and its food scene. Without partners as strong as these we wouldn't be successful."

"As we continue to expand throughout the country it's important to us to ensure our mission is empowering local businesses and consumers to fight food waste. We strive to provide a solution that is easy for companies to use and fun for customers to work into their daily routine," said Kashani. "What we've experienced since entering Calgary is beyond what we could have hoped for. Not only have our partners embraced our fight to end food waste, consumers have already given us really positive encouragement by sharing their Surprise Bag contents and helping spread our message throughout the city."

Unfortunately the past two years have exacerbated an already drastic food waste problem. 58% of food that is perfectly good to eat goes to waste each year in Canada. Edible food waste in Canada equates to the weight of 20 million cows. The pandemic heightened supply chain issues, brought labour shortages and many uncertainties for food-selling businesses. Yet, those changes also led many to take some positive steps toward eliminating household food waste with 40% of people cooking more at home and 30% reporting to have used more leftovers than during the previous year.

Food waste occurs everywhere, which is why Too Good To Go partners with a vast list of food selling businesses across bakeries, cafés, restaurants, grocery stores, and more.

By joining forces with Calgary Food Bank, Too Good To Go is honoured to support the great work being done in the region to lessen the impact of food insecurity. Starting immediately, Too Good To Go will welcome in-app donations, 100% of which go directly to the food bank in their efforts to fight hunger. Said Avaleen Streeton, Food Industry Supervisor of Calgary Food Bank, "these days, it's hard to turn around without seeing a headline about supply chain issues or rising food prices. Over the past few months, the Calgary Food Bank has seen first hand how this has increased the number of people requesting emergency food hampers. While 77% of all the food we receive is rescued from the food industry, we know that there is a lot more excess food out there. We are excited to team up with Too Good To Go as their charity partner in their quest to connect Calgarians with businesses to help reduce food waste."

The Too Good To Go app is available for iOS download in the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android.

About Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go, a certified B Corp, is a social impact company leading the food waste revolution to create a greener planet. Their app connects consumers to surplus food from local restaurants and grocery stores, such as pastries, fresh produce, sushi and more, which would otherwise be thrown away to make room for the next batch of goods. Each meal rescued equates to the CO2e emission of charging one smartphone fully 422 times. Founded in 2016, Too Good To Go has saved more than 124 million meals from more than 144,000 partners in 17 countries. Beyond the app, Too Good To Go has launched initiatives to change date labelling on food, produced free educational resources for schools, and inspired households to change food waste behaviours. Visit toogoodtogo.ca for more information and follow us at instagram.com/toogoodtogo.can.

SOURCE Too Good To Go

Sarah Soteroff, PR Manager, Canada, 416.838.0077, [email protected]