On a mission to reduce food waste in Toronto and help those in need, a local startup Feed it Forward has come up with a truly unique idea – to launch the world’s first “pay what you can” grocery store.
Located at 3324 Dundas Street West, the store is the brainchild of Jagger Gordon, executive chef and founder of Feed it Forward.
Besides a wide variety of products, the store offers a café, bakery, soup bar and even a rooftop garden.
The idea behind “pay what you can” concept comes from the fact that every year about $31 billion worth of edible food from Canadian restaurants, grocery stores, and food manufacturers goes to waste. And Gordon believes that consumable foods that are approaching expiration date should be donated to feed Canadians in need.
So how does the concept work?
Gordon travels to local grocery stores, farmers, bakeries, restaurants and rescues food from anywhere he sees waste. Then the food is sold through a special subscription service.
“Shoppers can “pay it forward” by donating money to cover the cost of food for someone who cannot afford to pay. Shoppers who can’t afford to pay anything will receive food at no cost,” reports Toronto Storeys.