A global app that aims to help people save money on groceries while reducing food waste is catching on in Saskatoon.
The Prairie Doughnut Company and Poutine pride themselves in making each batch as it’s ordered, but while that results in a great product for customers, at the end of each day, they have leftovers.
“For example, if we make 50 at a time but we got an order for 24, what do we do with the 26? Since we never do premade donuts so we’re making fresh,” Owner Jigar Shah, told CTV News.
Now, thanks to the new app, those extras are being sold.
“They contacted me and I said that was a very nice concept because it wastes less food,” he says.
This is how the app does that: businesses post food baskets they have available, and for what price, then customers choose one and go pick it up.
“You’re getting great things that would’ve sold in the store two hours earlier for full, price, for at a reduced cost,” Sarah Soteroff with, Too Good to Go, said.
There are restaurants, bakeries, convenience stores and even a juice company currently on the Saskatoon list.
They all sell items for about a third of the regular cost, according to Soteroff.
Businesses post their surprise basket with a general category of food like bakery or pizza attached to it, so the customer has a rough idea of what’s inside.
“For grocery items, for example, you might get a smattering of maybe some potatoes and lettuce. Things that didn’t sell and are reaching their best before date but can’t be sold the next day,” she says.
The Prairie Donut is one of 40 businesses on the app in Saskatoon