HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – There’s a new app working to reduce food waste while saving users and businesses a few bucks.
After taking over Matsumoto’s Okazuya less than a year ago, co-owners Jay Palma and Vanessa Pascua revamped the restaurant while still keeping its iconic local okazuya flavor.
Now, they’re trying to connect with a new generation.
“There aren’t a lot of Okazuyas around. With Save a Bite, [there are] new people trying out our food,” Pascua said.
The duo is connecting to foodies through the app “Save a Bite.”
Users download the app and can purchase mini blind boxes full of leftover food from participating restaurants.
“There’s such a big variety of foods that they can try out,” Pascua said. “Even if you end up not liking the particular foods that you receive, it’s not a complete waste because you still got that food at an affordable price.”
More than 6,000 people downloaded the app after it debuted in June. Since then, more than 700 orders have been placed among 23 different businesses.
Oak and Elton Gjona created Save a Bite after working in the hospitality sector and noticed how much food was wasted daily.
“We’ve seen a lot of businesses open up the doors this year, and also shut their doors this year,” said Oak Gjona, Save a Bite co-founder. “You see all the love that goes into that. And it’s just really sad to see that happen. So if we can help bridge some of that gap of some of that lost revenue, then that’s something that we really want to do.”
Their goal was to create a meaningful app to help local businesses reduce waste and generate extra income.
“I feel like in the bakery the waste is always losing money. It’s losing labor costs. It’s losing ingredients. Ingredients are expensive right now,” said Fanny Queloz, owner of Oceanside Bakery.
Queloz said the new app also helps with their fridge space. With no leftover pastries to store, she can focus on prepping her baked goods for the next day.
“I feel good. If I know that I’m going to have extras, I feel good to put it on the app and know that it’s going somewhere,” she said. “Somebody’s going to enjoy it.”
Although the program is still catching on, the app is attracting food lovers across Oahu to try a variety of local eateries at a discount rate.
“I think it’s very beautiful and it shows that they do care about the waste,” said Jazlynn Miller, an Ocean Bakery customer.
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