GiftAMeal
GiftAMeal is a cause-marketing platform that converts diner photos at participating restaurants into meal donations to local food banks, serving 1,200+ restaurant locations across 46 states on a per-location subscription model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What GiftAMeal does
GiftAMeal is a cause-marketing platform that enables restaurants to convert guest engagement into charitable donations to local food banks. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, the company operates as FoodShare, LLC d/b/a GiftAMeal and was acquired by Swipe Savvy, a Florida-based customer engagement and rewards company, in April 2026. The platform connects three parties: restaurants (paying B2B customers), diners (free app users), and food banks (recipients of triggered donations). When a diner photographs their meal at a participating restaurant through GiftAMeal's mobile app, the system automatically triggers a donation equivalent to 1.2 lbs of healthy groceries to a local food bank; sharing the photo on social media is designed to multiply the impact. As of May 2026, the platform reports facilitating more than 3 million meal donations across 1,200+ restaurant locations in 46 states through a network of 150+ food bank partners.
The technology stack centers on a consumer-facing mobile application (iOS and Android) with QR-code-based onboarding that requires no app download, paired with a web-based Restaurant Partner Dashboard that provides per-location and system-wide reporting on meals donated, customer engagement, and social media impact. The platform does not expose a public API; instead, it integrates with third-party restaurant technology stacks—loyalty and engagement platforms (Thanx, Incentivio, Big Colony, Lunchbox), online ordering via Olo, and guest feedback via Tattle and Ovation—to extend distribution. Core product differentiators are the photo-to-donation trigger workflow, zero-staff-effort deployment, and aggregated social-impact reporting that restaurants cannot easily assemble themselves.
GiftAMeal's revenue model is a B2B subscription charged to restaurant partners on a per-location basis. Published pricing ranges from $34-$79 per location per month for 1-4 location operators down to $39 per location per month for 11-99 location chains on annual commitments, with custom enterprise pricing for brands with 100+ locations; each subscription includes a baseline of 30 meals donated per location per month plus incremental donations triggered by diner photos and social shares. Target customers span single-location independents (Espresso Yourself, Rich and Charlie's), mid-market regional chains (Snarf's, Groucho's Deli, Lion's Choice, The Great Greek), and enterprise brands (Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, Pizza Factory, Häagen-Dazs, Jimmy John's). Distribution is sales-led through 15-minute virtual demos and franchise-organization partnerships, with self-serve signup available for smaller operators and a diner-side referral program funneling restaurant leads.
GiftAMeal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GiftAMeal
- Legal name
- FoodShare, LLC
- Website
- https://giftameal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- GiftAMeal is a cause-marketing platform that converts diner photos at participating restaurants into meal donations to local food banks, serving 1,200+ restaurant locations across 46 states on a per-location subscription model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GiftAMeal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Restaurant Marketing Software
- SIC
- Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rewards, Incentives & Gift Card Program Services (MPAAAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate & Client Gifting Programs (HSACANAE)
Keywords
Where GiftAMeal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GiftAMeal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Restaurant Subscription Fees: Monthly or annual subscription fees charged to restaurant partners based on number of locations. Pricing tiers range from $34-$79/month per location for standard plans, with enterprise pricing for 100+ locations. Includes baseline meal donations (30 meals per month per location) plus additional donations per photo taken or social media share.
- Free Consumer App: Free app for diners with no cost to participate. Diners take photos which trigger restaurant-funded donations to food banks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | 1-4 locations monthly subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | 1-4 locations annual subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | 5-10 locations monthly subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | 5-10 locations annual subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | 11-30 locations annual subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | 31-99 locations |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 100+ locations enterprise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
GiftAMeal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GiftAMeal is a B2B cause-marketing software platform sold to restaurants on a monthly or annual subscription basis. Restaurants gain access to a photo-to-meal donation system and a partner dashboard that converts diner photos taken via the free GiftAMeal consumer mobile app into automatic meal donations to local food banks, while providing restaurants with engagement and impact analytics. Consumers download the free mobile app to participate, and restaurants pay per-location subscription fees ranging from $39 to $79 per month.
Product overview
GiftAMeal is a restaurant marketing platform that consists of a consumer-facing mobile app and a restaurant partner program. The core GiftAMeal App allows diners to take photos of their restaurant orders at participating locations, automatically triggering meal donations to local food banks. Restaurants pay a monthly subscription fee to access the Restaurant Partner Dashboard and receive promotional materials (table tents, stickers, posters). The platform's key differentiator is combining cause marketing with customer engagement—guests can share photos on social media to multiply their donation impact. Additional resources include white papers on restaurant marketing strategies, documented case studies, and press/media resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GiftAMeal Mobile App A free consumer-facing mobile application for iOS and Android that enables diners to take photos of their restaurant orders at participating locations, automatically triggering meal donations (equivalent to 1.2 lbs of groceries) to local food banks. Users can share photos on social media to double, triple, or quadruple their donation impact. Available to individual diners at no cost.
- GiftAMeal Restaurant Marketing Platform A B2B cause-marketing platform sold to restaurants on a per-location monthly or annual subscription, providing a partner dashboard with per-location and system-wide reporting on meals donated, customer engagement, and social media impact. The platform includes branded promotional materials (table tents, stickers, posters), QR-code guest onboarding, photo-to-meal donation automation, and social media sharing amplification. Designed for restaurant chains, franchise organizations, and independent operators seeking zero-effort community engagement marketing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 39% increase in customer loyalty
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use GiftAMeal
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GiftAMeal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability5 records
Feature3 records
GiftAMeal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Swipe SavvyflagshipGiftAMeal was acquired by Swipe Savvy, a Florida-based customer engagement and rewards company. The acquisition aims to blend social impact with customer engagement, expanding purpose-driven restaurant engagement. GiftAMeal now operates as part of the Swipe Savvy portfolio while maintaining its hunger-relief mission.
- Häagen-DazscoreOver 100 Häagen-Dazs shops across 22 states partnered with GiftAMeal starting December 2025. Initiative enables customers to donate meals to food banks when taking photos of treats and sharing on social media during holiday season.
- Stack Wellness CafeminorCedar Rapids, Iowa partnership converting guest photos into donations for local food banks. Initiative involves QR code scanning and social media sharing for additional donations.
- The Great Greek Mediterranean GrillcoreNational philanthropic partner expanded from 10-location pilot to over 70 locations. Guests trigger food bank donations by taking photos on the platform. The company matched monetary value of total meals donated during February 2024 (Random Acts of Kindness Day).
- Lee's Famous Recipe Chickencore130-location brand partnership launched July 2022. Provides over 75,000 meals annually to families in need. All Lee's locations participate across the United States with branded promotional materials.
- Performance FoodserviceminorCustom plan partnership with food service provider for accurate deliveries, great-tasting quality products, and innovative solutions.
- Coca-ColaminorLocal restaurants partnered with Coca-Cola to support Operation Food Search through food collection effort ahead of Thanksgiving 2025.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GiftAMeal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Thanx: Guest engagement, digital loyalty, and CRM platform for restaurants and retailers. Directly comparable as a tech partner integrating with GiftAMeal and competing for the same restaurant marketing budget.
- Olo: Leading open SaaS platform for restaurants enabling digital ordering, payments, and hospitality. Comparable as a restaurant tech partner and competitor for restaurant software wallet share.
- Incentivio: Fully automated intelligence-driven guest engagement platform for restaurants and virtual kitchens. Direct competitor in the restaurant loyalty/engagement category and listed integration partner.
- Lunchbox Technologies: Open, scalable restaurant platform enabling B2B catering, multi-channel ordering, and guest engagement for enterprise operators. Direct peer in restaurant guest-engagement technology and listed partner.
- Paytronix: Restaurant loyalty, online ordering, and guest engagement platform serving thousands of restaurant locations. Comparable in targeting multi-location restaurants with engagement and loyalty tools.
- Punchh: Restaurant and retail loyalty platform enabling digital loyalty, offers, and customer engagement. Comparable as a digital loyalty/engagement solution sold to restaurant chains.
- Big Colony: Marketing technology company that helps restaurant brands build commerce-forward apps and sites. Direct peer in restaurant marketing technology and listed integration partner.
- Ovation (restaurant feedback): SMS-based guest feedback and reviews platform for restaurants. Direct peer in the restaurant guest-engagement technology stack and listed integration partner.
- Tattle: Customer experience improvement platform for restaurants using API integrations and AI to drive actionable guest feedback. Direct peer in restaurant guest-engagement tooling and listed partner.
Emerging players
- Stuzo: Loyalty and customer engagement platform for convenience and fuel retailers with some restaurant presence. Compares on the loyalty/personalization technology layer though primarily outside restaurants.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GiftAMeal social profiles
Digital presenceGiftAMeal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GiftAMeal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GiftAMeal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GiftAMeal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GiftAMeal
What does GiftAMeal do?
GiftAMeal is a B2B cause-marketing software platform sold to restaurants on a monthly or annual subscription basis. Restaurants gain access to a photo-to-meal donation system and a partner dashboard that converts diner photos taken via the free GiftAMeal consumer mobile app into automatic meal donations to local food banks, while providing restaurants with engagement and impact analytics. Consumers download the free mobile app to participate, and restaurants pay per-location subscription fees ranging from $39 to $79 per month.
Is GiftAMeal a public or private company?
GiftAMeal is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was GiftAMeal founded?
GiftAMeal was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is GiftAMeal based?
GiftAMeal is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does GiftAMeal make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Subscription Fees are the primary driver. The others are free Consumer App.
Who are GiftAMeal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Thanx, Olo, Incentivio, Lunchbox Technologies, Paytronix, Punchh, Big Colony, Ovation (restaurant feedback) and Tattle. Stuzo is listed as an emerging player.
Does GiftAMeal have an API?
No public API is recorded for GiftAMeal.
What industry is GiftAMeal in?
GiftAMeal's product category is Restaurant Marketing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAIAG, Rewards, Incentives & Gift Card Program Services, with a secondary code of HSACANAE, Corporate & Client Gifting Programs. Its SIC code is 7331.