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Restaurant Owners: How to Sell Surplus Food & Reduce Waste with La Tabdhir

A guide for UAE restaurant and grocery store owners on joining La Tabdhir to sell surplus food, reduce waste, and earn extra revenue through surprise bags.

January 20, 20265 min read

Why Restaurants Are Joining La Tabdhir

Every restaurant deals with surplus food. You prepare based on expected demand, but some days you sell less than anticipated. That unsold food — still perfectly fresh and safe — goes straight to the bin.

La Tabdhir gives you a way to recover revenue from food that would otherwise be wasted, while doing something good for the environment and your community.

How It Works for Restaurants

1. Sign Up & Get Verified

Register your business on La Tabdhir with your UAE licenses (Trade License, Food Safety Certificate, Municipality Permit). Our team verifies your documents within 2–3 business days.

2. Create Your Surprise Bag

Set up a single surprise bag for your restaurant:

  • Describe the type of food (e.g., "Mixed bakery items", "Restaurant meal")
  • Set your price (typically 30–50% of the food's retail value)
  • Configure pickup time slots (e.g., Lunch 12–2pm, Dinner 8–10pm)
  • Set quantities per slot (e.g., 10 bags for lunch, 5 for dinner)

3. Receive Bookings

Customers browse, find your restaurant, and book surprise bags. You get a notification for each booking.

4. Hand Over & Collect Cash

When customers arrive, they show their booking code. You hand over the surprise bag and collect cash. That's it.

The Business Case

Revenue Recovery

If you currently throw away AED 500 worth of food per day, selling it as surprise bags at 40% value recovers AED 200/day — that's AED 6,000/month in new revenue.

Cost Savings

Less food in the bin means lower waste disposal costs and reduced over-ordering from suppliers.

New Customers

Many surprise bag customers become regulars. They discover your restaurant through La Tabdhir and come back for full-price meals.

Brand Image

Being listed as a food-waste-fighting restaurant resonates with eco-conscious consumers and improves your brand reputation.

Pricing Plans

| Plan | Monthly Cost | Features | |------|-------------|----------| | Starter | AED 149 | Basic listing, 1 surprise bag, standard support | | Growth | AED 249 | Featured placement, analytics dashboard, priority support | | Business | AED 349 | All features, premium placement, dedicated account manager |

No transaction fees. You keep 100% of every sale. The subscription is the only cost.

90-Day Free Trial

Every new restaurant gets a full-feature 90-day free trial. Create surprise bags, test the platform, and see the results before committing.

What Partner Restaurants Say

"We used to throw away AED 300–400 of food every night. Now we sell most of it as surprise bags. It's a win-win." — Restaurant owner, Dubai Marina

"The customers who find us through La Tabdhir often come back as regular diners. It's better than paid advertising." — Bakery owner, Sharjah

Getting Started

  1. Go to La Tabdhir and click "Become a Partner"
  2. Fill in your business details and upload your licenses
  3. Choose a subscription plan (or start your free trial)
  4. Create your first surprise bag and start receiving bookings

It takes less than 15 minutes to set up, and you could be receiving orders the same day.

Register your restaurant →

Related: Sustainable Dining in Dubai | Food Waste Statistics


Find Surplus Food Deals Near You

Browse surprise bags from restaurants and stores across the UAE: