Lovvett Blog

One of the greatest things about living in a city like Miami is the opportunity to discover great food. So many amazing restaurants to test out, so little time! You get to explore different cuisines and try dishes you’ve never heard of before. What's more, you don’t even need to worry about preparation, the food is all served up for you by professionals, you eat, you enjoy, and then you don’t even need to do the dishes afterward. Talk about living the dream. But for a foodie, having all these great restaurants a short ride from your house is a real bank-breaker, so we can’t do it as often as we’d like. If you’re looking for a great deal what are your options?

We’ll walk you through 3 different ways to get restaurant deals so you can enjoy the benefits

We’ll look at the pros and cons of each method of eating out the affordable way.

Coupons

Coupons are an obvious choice. You go to Google and search “restaurant coupons” in your city, or visit websites like Groupon or BeFrugal and scroll through the restaurants, find an offer you like the look of, read the small print to check what’s on offer and when, if you’re happy you print the voucher, make sure to take paper with you on the day and present the coupon to the waiter before you order.

Pros

• You get the whole restaurant experience. With this method, you get the same service and treatment as clients paying the full price.

• An opportunity to check out a new place. Some restaurant coupon sites have offers on newly opened places that you might not have tried before. Finding a coupon might encourage you to try somewhere you might not otherwise have considered.

• Some restaurant deals are for groups so you can include your friends in the offer. But be aware, some require each of you to have printed off a voucher. Read the small print, people!

• Great offers. If you’re prepared to put in the research there are some great offers out there. Free mains, 2 for 1, etc.

Cons

• Your coupon might not be accepted. When online coupons started in the early 00s, restaurants were unwittingly accepting counterfeit coupons which led to huge losses. Businesses found a solution: to include barcodes. However, if your voucher is printed in low quality or in the wrong format, it might not be accepted and you’ll have to fork out for the full price.

• Limited restaurants are involved. If you’re looking for a coupon for Arby’s then you might have some luck, but it’s not exactly a foodie’s dream. Smaller independent eateries, like that great little Peruvian Bistro you recently discovered almost definitely won’t be on Groupon.

• Finding a good offer requires research. You’ve got to put in the time if you want to find a good deal for a place you really want to eat at.

• Who has a printer at home these days? Printing is a hassle. Yes, you can risk using your work printer, but your boss won’t be super impressed at your use of office supplies to get a 2 for 1 on a steak dinner… unless you invite them too!

• The small print. Usually, it’s straight forward, but sometimes there are so many clauses and loopholes that make the coupon hardly worthwhile. You can have your 2 for 1 deal, but only between 15:00 - 18:00, Mon - Fri. Check the small print on any voucher before you go to all the effort of printing it off and bringing it with you.

Summary: If you have the time to track down a good offer, and if you can be flexible in order to stick to the T&Cs this is a good option.

Selecting carefully from the menu

This is an obvious one, but just being selective about the food you order can save you a lot of money. Look at the price list first and then look at what the least expensive meals are. If you look at the menu first, you might get tempted by a super expensive option.

Another top tip is to ask if you can get money off if you remove some of the more expensive ingredients from the dish. Try vegetarian dishes, they’re generally not as pricey as an expensive cut of meat. Another way to save on eating out is to skip on the alcohol.

Pros

• Universally applicable. Unlike the other two options we mention in this blog, you can use this method at any restaurant you go to.

• No terms and conditions. You can use this method any time, anywhere.

• Clandestine. If you’re dining with other people, it’s a way of paying less that doesn’t call attention to the fact that you are doing so. There’s no subtle way to pull out a coupon.

• No paper administration. Unlike restaurant coupons, you don’t have to print anything off.

Cons

• You’re limited as to what you can order from the menu. What you eat will be completely dictated by the price.

• It’s not exactly a bargain. After all, you’re just eating meals with cheaper ingredients.

• We’re not talking a life-changing difference in price. You’ll still be paying around 75-80% of what you otherwise would.

• You need to have a lot of willpower. The other options will be right there in front of you. It’s hard to order the carbonara without the serrano when you’ve got the Kobe meatballs staring at you.

• Not great if you’re splitting the bill - it’s all well and good if your friends are also choosing to be thrifty, but if they order the lobster bisque and three espresso martinis, you’re not really benefiting from being selective.

Summary: A good option if you’re trying to save money but you haven’t chosen the location. You might have to be upfront with your fellow diners so they don’t just divide the bill.

Lovvett app

There’s a new way to get great restaurant deals that’s revolutionizing the food scene. All food has a best before date, and up until now, food establishments have had to lay waste to tons of perfectly delectable food every single day. It’s a huge problem. The FAO estimates that ⅓ of all food produced for human consumption

Lovvett intervenes before great food is chucked out. They connect hungry consumers with great restaurants and other food establishments in their area that have leftovers. Since the food would otherwise go to waste, the deals are always incredible. And it’s not just restaurants offering great deals: cafes, bistros, food trucks, greengrocers and even florists are involved.

The way it works is simple too. You download the app, choose your favorite offer, pay for it through a secure payment system, go to your chosen restaurant, present your in-app receipt, and collect your food.

Pros

• The savings are huge! You get at least 50% off of the full price on everything on offer, so you’re always guaranteed a great deal.

• There is a wide selection of eateries to choose from - big chains restaurants, small independent cafes, your local florist might even be in on it. You might even find a place nearby that you never knew existed.

• No research required. All the offers are there in the app. Just choose your favorite place with deals that day, and you’re on your way.

• No small print. Everything is upfront and straight forward.

• No paper admin. Your receipt is in-app, just make sure your phone is charged sufficiently before you head out the door to go and collect it.

• Eat great food in the comfort of your own home. This method is a credible alternative to home cooking. The prices are so much more affordable than take-away dinners, and you can choose to keep it healthy.

• It helps to save the planet. By fighting food waste, you are helping to tackle a big contributor to greenhouse gases. Lovvett facilitates conscious consumption and empowers consumers to align their actions with their principles.

• It helps independent eateries with their profit margins. The cafe/restaurant industry is a tough nut to crack, and plenty of great small businesses, serving amazing food get swallowed up as a result. By buying food that would otherwise be wasted, you’re actually doing these places a favor while also getting an amazing deal.

Cons

• Not eating in a restaurant. Unlike the other two methods, with Lovvett, you don’t get the restaurant experience. So if what you want from a restaurant experience is to be served on, this option isn’t for you. Instead, Lovvett is purely about the food - you get to eat restaurant-quality food, prepared professionally, but you’re eating at home.

• You’re doing the dishes. Another benefit of eating at a restaurant is that you get to settle up and go home without ever picking up a dishcloth.

• Limited as to what you can order. If you choose this method, what you eat is dependent on which restaurants actually have leftovers, and what they have an excess of. This isn’t a problem if you’re not a fussy eater, and possibly even a bonus if you’re an adventurous foodie.

Summary: If you’re looking for the whole restaurant experience this isn’t for you, but if what you want is the same great food from independently-run eateries, this is your best option. As an added bonus you can feel great about the fact that this method is sustainable, and helping to support small businesses that might otherwise drown in a difficult industry were it not for your custom.

So what’s your best option?

Bronze

Selectively choosing your meal has been a students’ firm favorite since time immemorial, but it’s not fun for a grown food lover to have to limit themselves to the cheapest thing on the menu. It takes 3rd place purely for the fact that you’re not making too many savings.

Silver

Using restaurant coupons was exciting in the early 00s when everyone was on board, but it’s harder to find great deals at places where you would really enjoy eating. Nonetheless, you can find some great deals if you put the effort into finding them.

Gold

Lovvett is a new and exciting way to find great deals at your favorite places in the city. Not only are the restaurant deals out-of-this-world (over 50% off everything), but the restaurants that participate also benefit from selling it to you, no matter how cheaply. Lovvett is also 100% the preferred method for conscious consumers, and since sustainability is increasingly urgent, it’s important to empower and facilitate those who want to make positive change in the world.

Want to try it for yourself

Sign up to Lovvett now and find restaurant deals in your area. Check out which of your favorite restaurants are already participating. Since Lovvett is so new, early adopters, or “pioneers,” can currently get extra benefits by signing up now.