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GiftAMeal is a St. Louis, Missouri-based cause marketing software company that operates a mobile application allowing diners to trigger donations to local food banks by photographing their meals at participating partner restaurants. The platform operates on a B2B subscription model where restaurants pay a flat monthly fee to utilize the technology, which yields a 39 percent increase in guest return rates and a 20 percent increase in spending per visit. Operating with a team of six employees, the company facilitates over 40,000 monthly meal donations and has provided more than 2.4 million meals across 44 states. The enterprise currently serves a network of nearly 1,000 partner locations, including franchises like Red Robin, and has received backing and recognition from entities such as Arch Grants and Amazon Business. GiftAMeal was founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Andrew Glantz.
GiftAMeal has raised $480K across 1 funding round.
GiftAMeal has raised $480K in total across 1 funding round.
GiftAMeal has raised $480K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $480K Seed in June 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2021 | $480K Seed | — | Asdf Ventures, GSV Acceleration | Announced |
GiftAMeal has raised $480K in total across 1 funding round.
GiftAMeal's investors include ASDF Ventures, GSV Acceleration.
GiftAMeal is a mobile application that enables restaurants to fight hunger by donating meals to local food banks whenever customers upload photos of their meals at partner locations.[1][2][3][7] It serves restaurants seeking guest engagement and loyalty, while addressing food insecurity through user-generated content; restaurants pay a monthly fee (starting at $79), and each photo triggers a 25-cent donation—equivalent to 1.2 pounds of food—with bonuses for social shares.[3][7] The platform has donated over 2.5 million meals, drives 39% higher visit frequency, 20% more spend per visit, and 32% higher tips from users, fueling growth via integrations with tools like Incentivio, Lunchbox, Olo, and others.[3][4][6][8]
GiftAMeal was founded in 2014 by Matt Glantz, a business student in St. Louis, inspired by the prevalence of food selfies and a desire to channel them into social good for restaurants and food pantries.[3] Launching while still in school, it quickly gained traction with a couple hundred local restaurants, raised nearly $800,000 from investors, and earned dozens of accolades over six years, donating hundreds of thousands of meals in St. Louis alone.[3] The idea evolved from a simple photo-donation mechanic into a broader guest engagement platform, now recognized as an award-winning enterprise blending "profits with a purpose."[1][3]
GiftAMeal rides the wave of purpose-driven tech in hospitality, where restaurants leverage mobile apps for loyalty amid post-pandemic recovery and rising social responsibility demands.[3][4] Timing aligns with explosive growth in restaurant tech stacks—SaaS platforms like Olo and Lunchbox dominate multi-channel ordering and engagement, making GiftAMeal's plug-and-play integrations timely for virtual kitchens and chains combating 20-30% customer churn.[4][6] Favorable market forces include consumer preference for brands with impact (40% of users multi-share for extra donations) and food insecurity affecting 44 million Americans, positioning it to influence the $1T restaurant ecosystem by blending UGC marketing with philanthropy.[3][7]
GiftAMeal is poised for national expansion through deeper tech partnerships, potentially scaling beyond 2.5 million meals as AI-driven guest platforms proliferate.[4][6][8] Trends like composable restaurant tech and ESG-focused investing will amplify its model, evolving it from a St. Louis startup to a standard loyalty tool—watch for enterprise deals with chains via Olo or Performance Foodservice.[4] Its "profits with a purpose" hook could redefine restaurant marketing, turning every photo into loyalty and impact.[1][3]
