Can you ask for leftover food behind stores? And if yes, how?

10 comments

1. Try r/DumpsterDiving.

2. Get a job there.

   Friend of mine worked at a sushi restaurant and she would have a lot of rolls to take home after her shift.

3. Many places discourage it, but some are friendlier and will do it at closing time.

   I used to work in a bar across the street from a bakery, and the bakery made a point of putting all the leftover pastries in a *clean* garbage bag and setting it on top of the Dumpster instead of inside it. Many local indigent knew to come by and they’d split the haul between them. Sometimes the employees would even put leftover coffee into to-go cups if there was enough of it and leave those out, too.

4. No. Most places will probably call the police on you if they see you digging through it.

5. I don’t think you should go behind stores as it will come off as creepy, but if you go in and ask a manager politely you might get some positive results. Even better would be to explain your difficulties to the manager and ask if you can work for some food…that shows you are not just looking for a handout.

6. You should look into the Flashfood app. It’s only in select cities but they sell heavily discounted food, usually produce, that is about to expire or be thrown out. You can get a basket of food for $5. Few stores are part of the app but it’s expanding.

   [https://www.flashfood.com/](https://www.flashfood.com/)

7. Go to a food pantry.

   Often they get a lot of day old or near expiration stuff from groceries that would normally be thrown out.

   Food pantries are always trying to give away as much as they can and it avoids awkward dumpster diving.

8. Most Stores and restaurants will not give food at the expiration date out for free because it opens them up to lawsuit. Trying to get it without their knowledge by digging through their trash is typically a crime.

   If you are not able to afford food at the moment you are better off going to a food pantry, church, or soup kitchen seeking help.

9. Our local Publix gives away bread and baked goods from the bakery to a food bank.

10. If you are genuenly poor, like homeless, and ask for food, almost every restaurant would give you some, they’ll likely cook you a meal fresh. If you’re just a regular person wanting free food, probably not unless you know the people there. In many cases they can’t due to local health restrictions (although if you’re using it for anim feed those usually don’t apply). Could be worth a shot though, worst thing that can happen is they say no.