Here’s a new dinner option: Pick up a discounted mystery bag of food items from a local spot and help prevent food waste in the process.

Too Good To Go launched in Nashville over a year ago, but restaurant participation has recently picked up. The app connects users to food that might otherwise be headed for a dumpster.

How it works

Download the app.
Select your location.
Browse options + pick-up times.
Select your spot and complete your purchase.
Pick up your “surprise bag” during the restaurant’s designated time frame.

As you make purchases (for example, a $4.99 bag valued at $15, or a $9.99 bag valued at $30), the app will track how much carbon dioxide you’ve diverted from the atmosphere by preventing food waste.

Restaurant availability changes daily, but you can mark your favorites to receive notifications when new bags are added. Local spots like Steam Boys, Sky Blue Cafe, and Ugly Bagel are just a few of the options on the app recently, alongside big names like Whole Foods.

Reducing food waste at the local level

Too Good To Go is just one of the many resources available to help us cut the scraps.

Compost Nashville | This curbside composting service helps divert food waste from landfills and returns compost to you or donates it to local farms and gardens.
The Nashville Food Project | This nonprofit transforms donated, garden-grown, and surplus food from local restaurants into nourishing meals, which are then distributed throughout the community.
Urban Green Lab | Have you spotted the organization's "Waste Less" murals at Patagonia and Kroger in Green Hills? Plus, you'll find a helpful collection of local food waste resources on Urban Green Lab’s site.