Why don't restaurants give the food to the needy?

Question

I was wondering why the resturaunts throw there food out insted of donating it? they through out food thats only a few hours old. If i were them id donated it. If you agree with me give me a star.

Answer 1

thats true

they should do that

Answer 2

It' s not because they are mean. It's usually health ordinances. There can be exceptions with grocery stores. I know Kroger gives extra cake to a homeless shelter so the kids will have birthday cake.

Answer 3

These needy are like stray cats in a way, if you feed them they become "pets". There are a couple of fast food places in town that will give bums food once in a while out of the goodness of their hearts. Unfortunately the word gets out that they are a "soft touch" and as a result they hang around waiting for a handout and drive legitimate customers away.

The bums become dependant and don't look for a real life.

Answer 4

There are thousands of lawyers ready to take your case to file a liability suit against some business that donates leftovers to hungry people. Sad but true. The rats are not just in the dumpsters.

Answer 5

With good intention, this is a noble thought. But with complications like food poisoning as a possibility, the

restaurants can do more harm than good. It is the same principle as people bringing food from other food places into another.

Answer 6

Some do and some give directly to the hostels. Yes i have seen food thrown out and it is a same. But you have to remember if anyone  got sick on this food, the donated would be liable.

Answer 7

Unfortunately, if a restaurant tried to donate food (to a Rescue Mission or something), it would be in violation of health ordinances. There would be no way to actually guarantee that the food was not contaminated traveling from the restaurant to the donation site.

A restaurant, could, of course, apply for a delivery license like a pizza shop has but that's a lot of extra money plus paying an employee to deliver the food.

Restaurants do not want to be fined for this practice nor do they want to take responsibility if someone gets food poisoning if the meals aren't properly refrigerated/kept warm.

That's why many places actually put edible food in separate containers so "dumpster divers" can retrieve it. It's really too bad that we can't license gleaners for restaurant food like farmers do for their fields.

Answer 8

Processed foods only keep a short time. The problem with storage, unless it gets picked up soon; it'll spoil.

It costs money to deliver, so they won't.

I'm sure food pantries, have some sort of arrangements with some places.

Answer 9

Some restaurants do supply unused food to various relief organizations.  I know that Chicago in particular has a well-organized partnership between restaurants and charities.  It'd be nice if more restaurants followed this example.

Answer 10

The main problem is that someone could 'get sick' and sue the food provider.  I know it's an awful waste, but unless you are right there to pick up the food and serve it right away you also have food poisoning issues.

Answer 11

i dont know because i dont work at a restaurant. but that would be cool