Fast 5 Social Change Qs with Nick Loosley from Everybody Eats

What inspired your social business idea and how did you make it a reality?

I was inspired while doing research for Masters in the UK. Through the research I was doing, I was able to see the huge amounts of food we waste, and the potential to put it to good use here in NZ. It became a reality from just giving it a go, not second guessing, and just getting started. Planning is important, but sometimes doing creates the best learnings.

What mistakes did you make and what did you learn from them?

There weren't any huge mistakes. But expecting to grow faster than we could was particularly challenging for me. In some cases as a small organisation we tend to think small and not see huge opportunities to work with others.

How have you become amazingly good at selling your impactful idea, service or product?

I believe in the concept and what we do. We stay true to a few core values, tell that story and people listen. It's simple.

What are the top three 21C skills you use daily?

Teamwork, collaborative problem solving, critical thinking

What’s your message for a potential young social entrepreneur exploring starting a business for good?

Start now. Give it a go. Your first project is unlikely to take off, and the lessons you learn from it will make the next one, and the one after that the huge successes.

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About Everybody Eats

Everybody Eats is New Zealand’s first pay as you feel restaurant aimed at feeding people in need with food that would otherwise go to waste. Founder Nick Loosley wanted to tackle food waste and food poverty in New Zealand, so he opened the pop-up restaurant in St Kevin’s Arcade on Auckland’s Karangahape Road. Everybody Eats is a space for people of all backgrounds to connect and engage with each other around food. The pay as you feel model opens the doors to those who can afford to pay for their meal and for those who can’t. Loosley estimates that around 30% of people eating at Everybody Eats are paying and around 80% of their customers are homeless or in need. Almost all of the food on the menu has been rescued from being dumped by local supermarkets and is then turned into a three course meal by the Everybody Eats volunteers to feed over 100 people per night. “For me, food’s the most powerful tool we have for bringing people together”, says Loosley, who has also opened a flagship in Onehunga and aims to open up more Everybody Eats restaurants to feed communities in need throughout New Zealand.

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