RETHINK FOOD X COOKUNITY

CookUnity and Rethink Food have worked together to create a more sustainable and equitable food system since 2021.

As Rethink Food’s national food excess partner, CookUnity donates surplus ingredients from its operations across the U.S. to help provide nutritious meals to neighbors experiencing food insecurity — while operating more sustainably.

Since the launch of the partnership in 2021 through December 2024, CookUnity has donated over 294,000 lbs of perfectly viable food. These donations have been transformed into nourishing community meals through Rethink Food’s New York-based Sustainable Community Kitchen, as well as through local partnerships facilitated by Rethink Food in cities across the country.

With Rethink Food’s support, this philanthropic collaboration has expanded to include Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, and Austin, with additional markets expected in the future.

This partnership embodies Rethink Food’s commitment to reducing food waste and ensuring high-quality meals reach those who need them — without creating further surplus in the food system.

Right Now in NYC

RETHINK FOOD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY KITCHEN

Integral to our sustainability efforts is our sustainable community kitchen, located in the Greenwich Village in New York City. Rethink Food utilizes the excess food we pick up to prepare meals for communities experiencing food insecurity. Our kitchen prepares 19,000+ meals a week and distributes them, at no charge, to community-based organizations throughout the city.

Interested in seeing our work in action? Visit our events page for upcoming events, sign up to volunteer with us, or just stop by!

OUR SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES

  • Excess food pick up

    We provide support for the pick up of your excess food and the delivery of meals to the community.

  • Repurposing of food

    We convert your excess food into nutritious meals that are distributed for free to local communities.

  • Amplify your impact

    We track and report the impact of your funding and support your CSR/ESG commitments. We also amplify our network's commitment through our growing platforms.

  • Get in-kind donation receipts

    Donating your excess food means you can qualify for various tax benefits.

  • Get an inside look into our operations

    We offer employee engagement initiatives - including volunteer opportunities, commissary kitchen tours and tastings

OUR IMPACT SINCE 2017

$111M+

directed to local restaurants

restaurant icon

26M+

Meals distributed to food-insecure communities in six cities

2.5M+

pounds of excess food converted into meals

Ready to get involved?

JOIN US

BECOME A CORPORATE PARTNER

Rethink Food’s work is made possible by a vast network of partners committed to supporting our work and the communities that we serve nationwide. These partnerships are vital to the success of our mission to create a more sustainable and equitable food system.

BECOME A RESTAURANT PARTNER

Rethink Certified is a partnership program that works with restaurants and food establishments to fund & make meals for communities impacted by food insecurity–while using excess food whenever possible.

TOUR OUR COMMISSARY KITCHEN

Our commissary kitchen is now open to the public–welcoming students, volunteers, and visitors–to get an inside look into how we operate and convert thousands of pounds of excess and donated food into 8,500 weekly meals for the community.

The experience includes an individual meal similar to those we make for our food-insecure neighbors and a tasting of some of the soups, snacks, and dips made for free from excess and donated ingredients. Every ticket purchase will provide 20 nutritious meals for our community facing food insecurity.

DONATE YOUR EXCESS FOOD

As part of our sustainability work, we partner with restaurants and food purveyors on utilizing their excess food to provide meals to local communities.

Reach out to learn more about our excess food program.