In the day and age where zero food wastage has become the need of the hour, SamvadSocial Technologies has brought forth a game-changing application that ensures diners dine for a cause. Touted as India’s first zero food wastage platform, Food Dosti application promises a revolutionary dining experience at the drop of a hat –
SamvadSocial Technologies started a concept that strives to bring together patrons and restaurants over an effortless, user-friendly application, Food Dosti that rewards customers with loyalty points for every clean plate. Based in Pune, the application now has over 190 restaurants registered with them. Food Dosti plans to launch in Mumbai very soon and extend its services to patrons as well as restaurants based in the maximum city.
Food Dosti connects a restaurant to its customers and on the other hand to Non-Profits in a bid to minimize food wastage. It is a win-win alliance which is beneficial to all.The endeavour is to reduce the food wastage footprint on the table and also in the kitchen,” says Sanjeev Neve, the founder of Samvad Social Technologies. “The app encourages the guests to ensure no food wastage on the table by offering them rewards for every clear plate.”
Apart from this, Food Dosti has numerous, interactive ideas to motivate users who believe in zero wastage.The app has innovative features like Portion-Saver which allows the guests to order half a portion if they do not have enough appetite to finish entire portion. They pay for the full portion and are served half portion. The remaining half is credited to their account as points, which can be redeemed anytime later. This way they are not forced to take more than they need and also are eligible for extra cashback points if they finish everything on the table.
“If you leave the restaurant with leftovers, be rest assured that Food Dosti will send this to those in need and put the food to better use. Earn loyalty points with every visit, and participate in a good cause every time you’re out dining with your close friends and family. Food Dosti is perhaps the first stepping stone to what revolutionary dining looks like,” states Sanjeev.
He further adds, “Though we have Food Dosti Connect to upcycle food to the needy, our final goal is that the restaurants/eateries should not be left with any surplus food to upcycle at all! After all, upcycling also has a cost involved, and it is much more efficient to provide food to the needy using dedicated initiatives. If we are able to achieve optimal production in eateries and eliminate or minimize surplus, we believe that a part of the problem will be addressed automatically.”
The customers along with the obvious features, get specialized offers and discounts for being associated with the initiative. They can use their cashback points not only in the issuing restaurant but a part of the points can be also redeemed in other Food Dosti partner restaurant. This gives them a wider choice. Also, most importantly, at end of the day, they feel good that they are contributing to the cause of stopping food wastage.
For the restaurant, it is equally beneficial, as they build customer loyalty while ensuring optimized production costs and reduced waste management issues. They are able to not only retain but also augment their customer base and get repeat business. Especially in a buffet offering, there is a significant saving in production costs.
In case, the restaurant has some surplus food at the end of the session, Food Dosti Connect helps them in ensuring that the food is utilized for greater good. Using the Food Dosti platform, the restaurants can publish the information about surplus food and the same reach local Non-Profit organizations in real time.
The Non-Profits can then claim for the available food based on their requirements and once approved it is kept ready for them to pick up and up-cycle to those in need.
“The response has been extremely good in Pune, as there are more than 100 restaurants who are already a part of this initiative and is being liked by the customers and all the parties involved,” says Sanjeev.
He continues, “In the next stage, we are launching this platform to Mumbai and then we will be taking this to other cities across India. We are also working on implementing Food Dosti platform in corporate and college canteens, where food wastage is a prevailing issue. We are planning to take one city at a time and are hoping to rope in partners for different cities. We are looking at a presence of Food Dosti in at least 5 Major cities by end of 2018.”
The android Food Dosti app available on PlayStore and its features can be enjoyed on any smartphone. n
