‘More Engagement, More Awareness, and More Meals Donated’

Combining two purpose-focused platforms, Swipe Savvy acquired GiftAMeal. The move pairs Swipe Savvy's loyalty tools with GiftAMeal’s built-in social impact experience, helping the brands create deeper connections with guests through shared purpose. GiftAMeal will continue to operate as both a standalone offering and an integrated feature within Swipe Savvy’s product suite, enhancing the Points for Purpose™ program, which allows customers to support non-profits through everyday purchases. 

Andrew Glantz, Founder & CEO of GiftAMeal, told Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine he connected with Jason Mayoral, CEO of Swipe Savvy, at a restaurant conference and the conversation quickly turned into how they could build something bigger together.

“We both saw the same opportunity from different angles,” said Glantz. “Swipe Savvy focuses on helping restaurants grow through payments and technology, and we focus on helping them grow through guest engagement and social impact. When you put those together, it creates a more complete solution.”

The alignment is a natural fit because the Swipe Savvy team understood that GiftAMeal is not just a feel-good program, it drives real business results while supporting the community, Glantz added. On average, guests who use GiftAMeal visit 39 percent more often, spend 20 percent more per order, and tip 32 percent more per visit. 

To date, the platform has partnered with more than 1,200 restaurant locations across 46 states, helping provide nearly three million meals through 185 local food banks. Participating restaurants range from independent operators to national brands, including Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, Snarf’s Sandwiches, and The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, along with franchise locations of nationally recognized brands like Chick-fil-A, Häagen-Dazs Shops, and Scooter’s Coffee.

“This is really about unlocking scale,” he said. “GiftAMeal has proven that we can drive meaningful engagement for restaurants while making a real impact in local communities. Swipe Savvy brings the infrastructure, relationships, and resources to take that to a much larger footprint, much faster. For them, it adds a differentiated way to help restaurants connect with guests beyond traditional loyalty or payments. It gives us the ability to reach more restaurants, support more food banks, and ultimately provide a lot more meals.”

Since the program is funded by the restaurant and free for guests, it generates a positive, brand-associated experience that drives stronger loyalty and encourages organic promotion through social media sharing. Diners scan a QR code, snap a photo to trigger a meal donation, and can then share on social media to provide additional meals. No app download is required, and the process takes just seconds. For restaurant staff, there is no added effort, making it a seamless addition to existing operations. Each “meal” donated through GiftAMeal represents a monetary contribution that helps food banks distribute 1.2 pounds of groceries to families in need.

Glantz said the acquisition accelerates the mission because it opens the door to deeper integrations across the restaurant tech stack, which streamlines implementation for operators and participation for guests.

“At the end of the day, it means more engagement, more awareness, and more meals donated. Nothing changes in terms of how GiftAMeal works for their guests or how operators manage the program. Operators can expect new innovation and features on the horizon that provide additional value both to their businesses and the communities they serve.”