Too Good To Go app links to unsold food at a fraction of the cost. See which Indy spots use it

Steep food discounts at local restaurants are as close as your smartphone.

Restaurants and bakeries in the Indianapolis area are selling food – ice cream, baked goods and even barbecue – at more than 50% through the Too Good To Go app.

The app allows customers to grab unsold food from nearby restaurants, bakeries, cafes and even convenience stores.

Recent examples include Hummus Republic in Avon, offering a bag of $18 worth of items for $5.99 the morning of July 3 for pickup after 8:45 that evening.

Hazeables bakery sells $12 worth of goodies, including surplus bags that might include an assortment of cannoli, cookies, cupcakes and cake slices, for $3.99 for Monday afternoon pickup.

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LiftOff Creamery regularly offers $12 worth of dessert cups for $3.99.

LiftOff owner Ryan Lynch was the first Indianapolis shop to sign on for the Too Good To Go service, starting in early 2024, and has since convinced other local businesses to join.

“I just don’t want to waste food,” he said. “And this is an opportunity for someone looking for food items to get them at a much more affordable cost.”

Customers might typically find ice cream, cheesecakes, cookies and/or brownies in the variety bags offered at his four ice cream stores, including the Square Scoop shop he acquired last fall, and the Greenwood LiftOff location opening this month at 1280 U.S. Highway 31 North.

What is Too Good To Go?

With a mission to reduce food waste and slow climate change, Too Good To Go launched in Europe in 2016 and expanded to the U.S. in 2020. Currently it operates in about 30 cities across 17 states.

The app was the 2023 winner in the Cultural Impact category of the annual Apple App Store Awards.

How the Too Good To Go app works

Users open the app to find local restaurants with pickup times and prices for goods. Most offerings are Surprise Bags, the contents of which customers won’t know until they pick them up.

Customers pay through the app and pick up the goodies during the designated period, usually right before a shop's closing time or early the next day.

Indianapolis restaurants on Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go hasn’t technically launched in the Indianapolis area – that involves public relations and marketing, but that hasn’t stopped restaurants from signing up.

The company typically launches in a market when it has about 50 restaurants, said Sarah Soteroff, senior public relations manager for operations in the U.S. and Canada.

When it does launch locally, it expects to have more variety including pizza, burger and sushi places, which are signed on other markets.

Restaurants can link with the company at toogoodtogo.com.

Indianapolis restaurants on Too Good To Go:

Big Mo BBQ

1285 N. State Rd. 135, Greenwood

The Cooking Station Indy

8329 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis

Hazeables

5545 E. Washington St., Indianapolis

Hummus Republic

114 N. Avon Ave., Avon

IKEA

11400 IKEA Way, Fishers

LiftOff Creamery

111 E. 16th St., Suite 105, Indianapolis

5539 E. Washington St., Indianapolis

1280 U.S. Hwy 31 N., Greenwood (opening in July)

Miss May Designs Bake Shop

1610 N. Lynhurst Dr., Speedway

Rise’n Roll Bakery

9263 E. U.S. Hwy 36, Avon

Square Scoop

1028 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis

Whole Foods Market

320 E. Market St., Indianapolis

1300 E. 86th St., Indianapolis

14598 Clay Terrace Blvd., Carmel

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson.