HOW SMOQUE BBQ REDUCED FOOD WASTE AND FOUND A SMARTER USE FOR SURPLUS

Smoque BBQ is a notable barbecue joint in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. Since opening in 2006, they’ve expanded operations to include catering and earned recognition from national and regional outlets as one of the best barbecue restaurants in the country.

Like many restaurants, they work hard to avoid waste by using historical data, maintaining tight specs, and cross-utilizing ingredients wherever possible. But because they make and serve barbecue fresh every day, and because sales mixes vary, some surplus is unavoidable.

Find out how they partnered with Too Good To Go to put that surplus to better use and recover costs in the process.

THEIR RESULTS

Business benefits beyond simple cost recovery:

• $27,882 in Revenue. All-time total meals rescued through Surprise Bags filled with fresh, unsold food.
• 8,989 Meals Saved. Generated by turning unavoidable daily surplus into a new stream of value.
• 89% Customer Return Rate. Too Good To Go helped Smoque BBQ attract customers who were happy to come back.

“We make and serve BBQ fresh every day and sales mixes will vary, so some waste — some of it pretty expensive — is just unavoidable. By partnering with Too Good To Go, we were able to find a consistent outlet for food we can no longer use for our menu, but is still perfectly good.”

— Mike McDermott, Owner and Operator of Smoque BBQ

The Challenge: Surplus Is Unavoidable Even with Careful Planning

Smoque BBQ does everything it can to avoid waste. The team uses historical sales data to forecast production, cross-utilizes ingredients across the menu, and maintains tight internal specs to keep quality high. Even so, some surplus is unavoidable. Barbecue is made fresh daily, and sales mixes change constantly. That means there are days when not everything sells.

They explored donation, but many places do not accept already prepared food, which exactly what they had to offer. They needed a consistent way to handle that kind of surplus.

The GOALS

Smoque BBQ had a few clear goals when exploring Too Good To Go:

• Reduce Food Waste: Find a consistent outlet for surplus that happens when daily sales don’t match production.
• Recover Costs: Offset the financial impact of surplus by turning it into incremental revenue.
• Return Value to Customers: Give new customers a way to try their food at a great price through Surprise Bags.
• Reach New Customers: Introduce their food to people who had not yet visited the restaurant.
  

The RESULTS: Turning Surplus into Reach, Revenue, and Repeat Visits

Once Smoque BBQ joined Too Good To Go, surplus became something they could plan for. Instead of rushing to find last-minute donation options or watching good food go to waste, the team had a reliable way to move unsold items at the end of each day.

The impact was clear. They’ve recovered nearly $28,000 in revenue and saved 8,989 meals. Bags sold quickly, and the process created a simple routine for handling items like pulled pork, brisket chili, or BBQ beans that couldn’t be served the next day.

It also brought new guests through the door. Of customers surveyed, 32% were visiting for the first time, and 89% said they would return. On top of that, 14% made an additional purchase, spending an average of $20.41 more while in-store.

WHY TOO GOOD TO GO?

For Smoque BBQ, Too Good To Go offered a solution that made sense. Donations had always been inconsistent, and many places couldn’t accept prepared food. The app gave them a consistent outlet for surplus that aligned with their standards and values.

It wasn’t just about reducing waste. It was about putting good food to good use in a way that worked for their team and their kitchen.

Implementation: From First Chat to First Bag

Smoque BBQ was in conversation with Too Good To Go for a few weeks. Once they signed on, it took no more than a couple of days to go live.

From Surprise Bag to Brand Love

Smoque BBQ didn’t join Too Good To Go with marketing in mind, but over time, they noticed that their Surprise Bags sold out quickly, and customers often shared how glad they were to finally get one. That kind of feedback helped show the value of the program, not just in revenue but in connection.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A Practical Way to Reduce Waste and Recover Value

Too Good To Go gave Smoque BBQ a simple, reliable way to handle surplus while recovering costs. What began as a practical fix for end-of-day inventory is now a steady channel for reaching new customers and creating additional revenue.

The program has helped rescue nearly 9,000 meals and recover close to $28,000. It’s brought in hundreds of first-time guests, many of whom add on full-price items to their visit.

For Smoque BBQ, the partnership works on every level. It offers a consistent way to manage surplus, reduce waste, and connect with customers in a way that feels good—for the business and for the community.