Too good to go: Money-saving food app comes to Czechia

The Too Good to Go company, known for its efforts in reducing food waste, has this month expanded its services to Czechia. It allows users to purchase heavily discounted food from restaurants, cafes, bistros, bakeries and other eateries that would otherwise be thrown away due to expiring. 

Czechia now becomes the 19th country to offer Too Good to Go, which has 95 million users registered globally. The company said in a recent press release that its primary aim is to reduce carbon emissions, food waste, and packaging.

"The app is a win-win solution for both consumers and the environment," says the company's CEO Mette Lykke. "By purchasing food [via the app], customers can save money and reduce food waste, while also contributing to our mission of creating a more sustainable food system," he adds.

Research shows that almost 1 billion kilograms of food is thrown away in Czechia every year, the most frequent being fruit, vegetables, and baked goods.

Users can download the app for free on the App Store or Google Play. After registering, they can scroll through the list of participating restaurants and other food outlets closest to them, based on location. 

Then, people can order what’s called a “Surprise Bag,” which contains an assortment of soon-to-expire, unused food that would otherwise go to waste. After paying and choosing a collection time, they may then collect the food; collection windows are often around one hour.

"It's like a lucky dip for food lovers," speaks Lykke of the concept of not knowing exactly what you might order. Packages can include, for example, pastries, vegetables, fruit, bread, meat, and juices. According to Too Good To Go, consumers can easily save up to 50 percent – or more – on regular food orders.

The current version of the app only covers only Prague at the moment, though plans to expand to other major Czech cities. It offers a variety of options for customers, including products from popular establishments such as the Myšák confectionery, the La Donuteria eatery, the Hilton Prague Old Town hotel, and more. It currently has partnerships with around 60 food outlets in the Czech capital.

Users of the Czech app can also take advantage of discounted food while traveling in other European countries (in which the app operates).

Since its launch in 2016, the Danish company has saved over 330 million meals from being wasted, and has formed partnerships with 160,000 businesses globally. 

This app isn't the only one of its kind in the Czech Republic. Nesnězeno (translating as "not eaten") is a very similar – and highly popular – project that also allows users to collect food that would otherwise be discarded. Some supermarkets have also implemented their own systems for customers to collect discounted goods before they go to waste.