Food for Soul
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersModena, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Food for Soul firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food for Soul
- Legal name
- Food for Soul
- Website
- https://foodforsoul.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food for Soul industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Kitchen and Food Rescue Services
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (62421)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)
Keywords
Where Food for Soul is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Modena
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Food for Soul business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Food for Soul operates as a nonprofit organization (501(c)3 in the US and ETS in Italy) funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Revenue comes from direct donations via website, bank transfers, PayPal, and Satispay, as well as corporate sponsorships and supporter partnerships.
- Volunteer and Chef Network Services: The organization mobilizes volunteer chefs from around the world who donate their time and skills to cook at Refettorio locations. This volunteer workforce enables the delivery of meals without labor costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free meals for vulnerable populations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Food for Soul product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food for Soul operates a global network of Refettorio community kitchens that rescue surplus food from the waste stream and transform it into nutritious, restaurant-quality multi-course meals served free of charge to individuals facing social vulnerability, including those experiencing homelessness, refugee status, isolation, or poverty. Supporting offerings include the Rescue Kitchen zero-waste recipe platform, the Bread is Gold cookbook (published by Phaidon), the Refettorio Network connecting operating partners across nine countries, and food education plus civic engagement programs.
Product overview
Food for Soul is a global nonprofit operating a network of community kitchens called Refettorio Projects that rescue surplus food and transform it into nutritious meals for vulnerable populations. The core offering includes the Refettorio Network, a global platform connecting partner locations across 9 countries. Supporting programs include the Chef Network (volunteer chefs), Volunteer Programs, and Food Education Programs. The Rescue Kitchen serves as a complementary recipe platform featuring zero-waste recipes from the chef community, while the Bread is Gold cookbook generates revenue to support meal services. Activism and Civic Engagement programs drive systemic change, and Corporate Partnerships engage brands in the mission.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Refettorio: Community kitchen spaces where surplus food is transformed into meals for vulnerable populations, combining food rescue with art and social inclusion.
Products and services
- Refettorio Projects A network of community kitchens that rescue surplus food and transform it into nutritious multi-course meals served free of charge to individuals facing social vulnerability, including those experiencing homelessness, refugee status, isolation, or poverty. Each Refettorio operates in partnership with a local nonprofit and emphasizes hospitality, beauty, and dignity in the dining experience.
- Refettorio Network
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,752 tonnes of food saved from waste
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Food for Soul
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Food for Soul technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Food for Soul partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OzHarvestcoreOzHarvest is the operational partner for Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney, the first Australian social impact project. OzHarvest provides surplus food for rescue operations and runs the community kitchen serving vulnerable guests daily from Tuesday to Friday. The partnership combines OzHarvest's food rescue expertise with Food for Soul's Refettorio methodology.
- The Felix ProjectcoreThe Felix Project, a London-based food waste charity, partnered with Food for Soul to open Refettorio Felix in London during London Food Month. The Felix Project supplies surplus produce for cooking, and the project aimed to serve over 2,000 meals using five tonnes of recovered food.
- MATER FondazionecoreMATER Fondazione, led by Chef Walter el Nagar, is the operational partner for Refettorio Geneva. The foundation provides restaurant and social enterprise operations, including paid lunches to fund the volunteer evening service. Refettorio Geneva serves 50+ free meals daily to vulnerable populations.
- Antoniano OnluscoreAntoniano Onlus partnered with Food for Soul to enhance the Padre Ernesto soup kitchen in Bologna, transforming it into Refettorio Antoniano. CheftoChef association chefs cook Monday dinners for guests, using surplus food from donors.
- Caritas AmbrosianacoreCaritas Ambrosiana operates Refettorio Ambrosiano in Milan, providing food assistance and community programs to vulnerable populations in the Milano area.
- Farming HopecoreFarming Hope is the operating partner for Refettorio San Francisco, running the community kitchen in California focused on food rescue and social inclusion.
- Fondazione Made in CloistercoreFondazione Made in Cloister operates Refettorio Made in Cloister in Naples, transforming a historic cloister into a space for community dining, arts, and social inclusion.
- Fundación PalacecoreFundación Palace is the partner for Refettorio Mérida in Mexico, providing operational support and community outreach to vulnerable populations in Yucatán.
- GastromotivacoreGastromotiva operates Refettorio Gastromotiva in Rio de Janeiro, combining food rescue with social entrepreneurship and culinary training programs.
- Le Foyer de la MadeleinecoreLe Foyer de la Madeleine partnered with Food for Soul to open Refettorio Paris, serving dinner to vulnerable populations in the Madeleine district. The space was renovated by architect Nicola Delon and designer Ramy Fischler.
- Free Food (Harlem)coreFree Food organization operates Refettorio Harlem in New York City at Emanuel AME Church, serving meals to vulnerable community members in Harlem.
- SalesforceminorSalesforce supported Refettorio Paris by providing funding to renovate Le Foyer de la Madeleine spaces and create an operations team. Employees donated 100 hours to build a cloud-based logistics app, with 600 more hours planned for ongoing support.
- AccorHotelsminorAccorHotels Group supports Refettorio Paris by donating products and ingredients from their restaurants, supporting the project's food supply and demonstrating commitment to fighting food waste and social vulnerability.
- Kering GroupminorKering Group supports the sustainability of Refettorio Paris as part of their broader sustainability and social impact initiatives.
- GrundigminorGrundig is an official Food for Soul partner for the third consecutive year, supporting Refettorio Paris. Their innovative technology helps maximize ingredient longevity and reduce resource waste, aligning with Food for Soul's 'Respect Food' initiative.
- UNEPminorUNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) is listed as a supporter of Food for Soul, providing institutional credibility and alignment with global environmental initiatives.
- Google Arts & CultureminorGoogle Arts & Culture supports Food for Soul as part of their cultural and educational programming initiatives.
- illyminorilly coffee is listed as a supporter of Food for Soul, providing coffee products for Refettorio operations.
- San PellegrinominorSan Pellegrino supports Food for Soul through projects within Italian Refettorios, providing beverages and supporting hospitality programs.
- BekominorBeko is listed as a supporter of Food for Soul, providing appliance support for kitchen operations.
- PhenixminorPhenix is a startup that fights food waste and helps supermarkets transition to circular economy. They donated ingredients to Refettorio Paris along with Carrefour, Le Banque Alimentaire, and Métro France.
- CarrefourminorCarrefour donated surplus food ingredients to Refettorio Paris as part of their food waste reduction commitment.
- Le Banque AlimentaireminorLe Banque Alimentaire (Food Bank) donated food to Refettorio Paris to support meal preparation for vulnerable guests.
- Métro FranceminorMétro France donated food ingredients to support Refettorio Paris operations.
- StudioilseminorStudioilse, a London interior design firm, designed the Refettorio Felix space in collaboration with Food for Soul and The Felix Project.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Food for Soul competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FoodCloud: Ireland-based nonprofit operating a food redistribution platform connecting surplus food with charities and community groups. Comparable to Food for Soul in mission to prevent food waste and address food insecurity through technology-enabled logistics.
- The Felix Project: London-based food waste charity that partnered with Food for Soul to operate Refettorio Felix. Both organizations rescue surplus food to provide meals to vulnerable populations, with The Felix Project supplying surplus produce for cooking.
- OzHarvest: Australia's leading food rescue charity, operating Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney in partnership with Food for Soul. Both organizations focus on rescuing surplus food and serving vulnerable populations, with OzHarvest handling the surplus food sourcing and kitchen operations.
- FareShare: UK-based food redistribution charity that rescues surplus food to feed vulnerable people through charitable partners. Operates community kitchens and meal programs with a similar food rescue and social inclusion mission as Food for Soul.
- City Harvest: New York City's largest food rescue organization, rescuing surplus food and delivering it to communities in need. Highly comparable to Food for Soul's Harlem operations in mission, geography, and food rescue model.
- Phenix: French food waste startup that partners with supermarkets for unsold food redistribution. Direct operational partner of Food for Soul, donating ingredients to Refettorio Paris and working on circular economy solutions.
- MATER Fondazione: Swiss foundation operating Refettorio Geneva in partnership with Food for Soul. A direct peer operating partner that runs a restaurant and social enterprise model with paid lunches funding the volunteer evening service for vulnerable populations.
Emerging players
- Too Good To Go: European app-based platform connecting consumers with surplus food from restaurants and retailers. Addresses the same food waste problem as Food for Soul but through a consumer-facing marketplace rather than community kitchen operations.
Broad incumbents
- Caritas Internationalis: Global confederation of Catholic relief organizations operating in over 200 countries. Caritas Ambrosiana is a direct operational partner for Food for Soul's Refettorio Ambrosiano in Milan, providing broader humanitarian and social services framework.
- Feeding America: The largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, operating a network of 200+ food banks. Represents a much larger incumbent in community food assistance with a broader, more wholesale-focused model than Food for Soul's hospitality-led approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Food for Soul social profiles
Digital presenceFood for Soul financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food for Soul leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Food for Soul funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food for Soul 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 Food for Soul
What does Food for Soul do?
Food for Soul operates a global network of Refettorio community kitchens that rescue surplus food from the waste stream and transform it into nutritious, restaurant-quality multi-course meals served free of charge to individuals facing social vulnerability, including those experiencing homelessness, refugee status, isolation, or poverty. Supporting offerings include the Rescue Kitchen zero-waste recipe platform, the Bread is Gold cookbook (published by Phaidon), the Refettorio Network connecting operating partners across nine countries, and food education plus civic engagement programs.
Is Food for Soul a public or private company?
Food for Soul is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Food for Soul founded?
Food for Soul was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Food for Soul based?
Food for Soul is headquartered in Modena, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Food for Soul make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are volunteer and Chef Network Services.
Who are Food for Soul's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FoodCloud, The Felix Project, OzHarvest, FareShare, City Harvest, Phenix and MATER Fondazione. Too Good To Go is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Caritas Internationalis and Feeding America.
Does Food for Soul have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food for Soul.
What industry is Food for Soul in?
Food for Soul's product category is Community Kitchen and Food Rescue Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAD, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative), with a secondary code of BPADAJAA, Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers). Its NAICS code is 62421.