Normally, you can’t take food out of a buffet. However, in Singapore, you can pay around $7.50 to buy leftover buffet food from a 5-star hotel.
Buffets are a popular way to eat in Singapore, but they can be expensive. Lunch at a buffet restaurant in a five-star hotel will cost you SGD 50 (US$35.50) or more. A cheaper alternative is the Treatsure app, which launched in 2017. This “Buffet in a Box” app allows diners to go to one of dozens of partner hotels and pick up boxes of leftover food for SGD 10.50 (US$7.50).
Preston Wong, co-founder of the Treatsure app, said the idea started when he saw his family having to throw away expired food in the fridge.
Treatsure app interface.
“We created Treatsure to reduce food and beverage waste, which is a major concern in the food manufacturing industry,” says Preston Wong.
Insider writer Marielle Descalsota decided to try out the app, which has more than 40,000 users, at the Stamford Hotel’s Clove restaurant. Reservations aren’t required, but the hotel does have a designated time slot—usually 30 minutes—for Treatsure users to pick up their food.
After scanning the app and paying, Marielle entered the restaurant—which was now mostly empty, save for a few Treatsure users—and began filling her containers with food. She had dozens of options, the dishes varied and still piping hot.
Clove serves mainly Asian food. Marielle expected to have to sift through leftovers, but was surprised to see many trays still full. Another user said the prices were affordable and helped reduce food waste.
Experience eating leftovers at a 5-star hotel.
However, one downside to the experience is that the best items are often gone – a perk of those who pay for the full buffet. For SGD 10.50, you get a takeaway box and can take as much as you like. If you want to add more food from the fresh food counter, you have to pay an additional SGD 5. Marielle says she finds this unnecessary, as there is plenty of food left at the buffet counter and a wide variety.
Treatsure users are not allowed to eat in restaurants, so Marielle went to a nearby open-air food court for lunch. Although not hot, the food was still quite good, especially the desserts, which are quite expensive in Singapore. The Insider writer said she would use the app again, especially if food prices continue to rise.
The food is still hot.
Guests are free to choose a full tray of food.
According to the Singapore Environment Agency, in 2021, the country had to destroy nearly 817,000 tons of food waste. At buffets, half of the food is thrown away. Preston Wong said his partners aim to eliminate food waste disposal.
“Treatsure targets partners who share the same values of sustainable tourism. We are also the first in Singapore,” Wong said. Besides, Treatsure is not the first app to offer this kind of service. Makan Rescue, an app that notifies users of places to give away leftover food for free, has also been a hit.
