Eat100 eyes more restaurants to cut food scraps

The startup plans to save about 62,400 kilos of food waste in 2025.

Eat100, a Hong Kong startup that sells surplus food from restaurants at a discount, aims to expand its partner network to boost its food waste reduction, which is its core mission.

The company has saved 3,160 kilos of food waste since it launched its mobile app in 2023, and this year, it seeks to save about 62,400 kilos of food scraps. The app sells surplus food as low as 50% of the original price bundled up in what it calls “surprise bags.”

Anson Wong, co-founder at Eat100, said the startup plans to reach 80 partner restaurants by year-end from 15 now. Restaurants don’t need to pay a fee to list, and the app only earns from a 10% charge on items sold through the platform.

“They have no downside to joining us because if they don’t sell anything, they don’t pay anything,” Wong told Hong Kong Business. “They can even treat it as free promotion or marketing.”

Food waste accounted for 29% of Hong Kong’s solid waste in 2023, according to government data released on 19 December 2024.

Wong said they plan to get more restaurants on board because users are seeking more variety. Initially, the app catered mainly to university students, with partner restaurants situated near campuses. But usage decreases during the holidays or school break as students in dormitories head home.

Eat100 is now focusing on getting partners near residential areas and MTR stations. The targeted expansion areas include Tseung Kwan O, Tuen Mun, and Tsuen Wan. The platform now serves areas such as Sai Ying Pun, Central, and Kwun Tong.

“That will benefit our business model since we only offer pick-up,” Wong said.

He said they plan to partner with restaurants that offer a wide range of cuisines, including Western, Korean, and Japanese. This should help boost the sales of the app’s partner restaurants.

The startup is also looking to introduce dynamic pricing. Restaurants sell surplus food at a 50% discount during a two-hour window.

For instance, if a restaurant closes at 9 PM, the surplus food becomes available at half price from 7 PM onward.

Wong said they plan to test a system that allows adjustments to the timing and discount rate.

“For example, restaurants could start offering surplus food at 3 PM with only a 20% discount,” he said. “We’ll test it to find the optimal time and pricing. If they can sell earlier at a higher price, they won’t need to discount as steeply.”

To achieve these plans, the startup plans to use the $1m it raised at a second funding round. It has raised a total of $1.2m.