In this episode of Food Tech Talk, Lydia Adams interviews Andrew Glantz, who shares how GiftAMeal emerged from his desire to combine restaurant marketing with social impact. Drawing inspiration from successful "buy one, give one" models and social media trends, GiftAMeal enables restaurant customers to trigger meal donations by simply taking photos of their food.

Andrew discusses how the platform benefits restaurants through increased customer engagement and loyalty, with GiftAMeal users returning 39% more frequently, spending 20% more per visit, and tipping 32% more. The program connects each restaurant location with local food banks, ensuring community-level impact while maintaining operational simplicity.

The conversation explores how restaurants of all sizes can implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, with Andrew emphasizing the importance of authenticity, brand alignment, and consistent messaging. He shares insights on measuring CSR success through both quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback from staff and customers.

Throughout the episode, Andrew highlights the growing importance of social responsibility in consumer decision-making, particularly among younger generations. He explains how GiftAMeal's technology has evolved to reduce barriers to participation, transitioning from a traditional app to a more accessible QR code-based system.