A new app in Charleston, South Carolina, is helping local food shops reduce waste and connect with the community—while offering people tasty meals at a lower price. It’s called Goodie Bag, and it’s changing the way people eat, save, and support local businesses.
What Is Goodie Bag?
Goodie Bag is an app that lets users buy unsold but still fresh and good-quality food from local restaurants, bakeries, cafés, and grocers at discounted prices. The idea is simple: save good food from being wasted while helping people discover new places to eat.
Eddy Conners, co-founder and CEO of Goodie Bag, said,
“We saw a chance to make food more affordable and reduce waste at the same time. It’s about building a better, more sustainable food system.”
How Does the App Work?
Shops list food that hasn’t been sold by the end of the day. Users get a notification, and whoever books it first gets to buy a surprise food bag at a discount. You pick it up during a time slot chosen by the shop.
The app includes features like:
- Choosing dietary preferences
- Favouriting your go-to shops
- Tracking past orders
- Accessing special flash sales
And the best part? It’s free for shops to join.
Jack Connors, Head of Partnerships at Goodie Bag, shared:
“We don’t want any shop to be left out. Our goal is to cut food waste across the U.S., so we made it free for businesses to be part of it.”
A Boost for Local Shops and Families
Charleston is full of small food businesses, many of which are now part of the Goodie Bag network. One of them is Maccaro Charleston, owned by Pram Sembiring.
He said, “It’s really fun seeing people enjoy something new—not just for the discount, but because they discovered a place they didn’t know. Sometimes we put up just ten bags, and they’re gone in half an hour!”
This model doesn’t just support sustainability—it supports local families and small business dreams. When you buy a Goodie Bag, you’re helping someone keep their business running while also enjoying a surprise meal.
Real Impact So Far
With over 200 partnering shops, Goodie Bag has already:
- Saved more than 45,000 food bags from being wasted
- Helped feed over 11,000 people
That’s food that would have ended up in the bin but instead made its way to tables across the city.
Goodie Bag is more than just a food app—it’s a community effort. It helps people try something new, save money, and support their neighbourhood. And it’s doing all this while tackling a major global issue: food waste.
By simply downloading the app and turning on notifications, you can grab a delicious surprise from a local shop, save food, and make a real difference in your community. It’s a win for your wallet, your taste buds, and the planet.
