Steve Ells’ Startup Kernel Axes Robots and Rebrands
Chipotle founder Steve Ells is no stranger to shaking things up. His latest venture, Kernel Foods, has undergone a major makeover. Now rebranded as Counter Service, the New York-based startup has shifted gears to an artisanal, “mostly sandwich” concept. The original...
Sauce Adds a Customer Retention Module To Its White-Label Delivery Platform
There is a science to running effective customer-retention programs. Do it right and loyalty results. Do it wrong and apathy results. Yet many operators don’t have the time or training to do it well. Li-ran Navon, the CEO and founder of Sauce, known for its...
Outstanding Operator: Viva Chicken
Viva Chicken is a Food On Demand Outstanding Operator. Viva Chicken, the fast-casual Peruvian rotisserie chain with 15 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Utah, is not shy about its devotion to poultry. After all, its name literally means “long live...
Outstanding Operator: Playa Bowls
Playa Bowls is a Food On Demand Outstanding Operator. Founded by avid surfers Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor, the brand was inspired by their surf trips to places like Panama, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. There, they discovered unique versions of acai and pitaya bowls....
Incept AI Has a Drive-Thru Order-Taking Solution That Minimizes Secondary Noises
There’s a poorly kept secret about the effectiveness of voice AI systems in the drive-thru. Secondary noises coming from the car are a real pain. “In previous versions of the technology, the AI agent would get confused by interfering speech,” said Umut Isik, CEO of...
Outstanding Operators
Food On Demand Outstanding Operators features restaurant brands with innovative operations that are taking creative paths to success with delivery and all things off-premises.