GiftAMeal is out to prove that profits can be made with purpose, and that doing well and doing good are not inconsistent goals. Through connecting restaurant-goers with local spots to eat, GiftAMeal offers an easy way for socially conscious diners to make a positive impact in their community. Restaurants have seen impressive results from the platform. A recent 7-month case study comparing GiftAMeal customers to standard customers found that customers that use GiftAMeal spend 24% more per check, return 45% more frequently, and tip 14% more on average than standard customers.

Founded in 2015 by Washington University in St. Louis alumnus Andrew Glantz, 25, GiftAMeal has grown tremendously to have over 200 partner restaurants and 35,000 people on the app. Andrew was the youngest person selected to the St. Louis Business Journal’s 30 Under 30 List, and GiftAMeal has been highly awarded, winning 14 different pitch competitions and grants, including a $50,000 Arch Grant.

The impact GiftAMeal is making on the community goes beyond the numbers to make a tangible difference in the lives of people all over the Greater St. Louis area. Bridgett, a single mom in St. Louis, shared her story on the impact GiftAMeal can have through its donations that support local food programs: “My daughter is 15. The food program really, really helped us. Her grades have gone sky high.

She came here to sit down and eat after school and have snacks and do her homework or get lunch on Saturdays. Now, my daughter takes food around to the neighbors, too, because she’s been there. She gets the vegetables and takes them around to the other places…. Back then I wasn’t capable of feeding her like she should be three times per day. But we’re in a good place now. We have a house, we have food, and we’re not going to stop just because we have. We’re going to give back.”

Anybody can face hunger, and GiftAMeal believes we all have the obligation to band together and support our neighbors when they need a helping hand. By using GiftAMeal, we can heal hunger in our community, one photo at a time.