Coronavirus Coverage, Resources and Reporting
In an unprecedented time, restaurants large and small are closing dining rooms, laying off staff, and scrambling to figure out off-premises solutions. Empty, closed-off dining rooms even in areas where it’s not mandated by local governments are certainly the most visible response to the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
The entire team at Food On Demand is committed to providing well informed and timely content for our readers. Please email us at [email protected] with any questions and we will work with our industry partners to provide answers and possible solutions during this time of transition.
Uber Narrows Loss on 28% Delivery Revenue Surge
After losing $968 million last quarter, Uber delivered improved first quarter earnings with a net loss of $108 million that was a “tremendous improvement” from the fourth quarter of 2020.
Chowbus Leans In on Emotions, Discovery to Boost In-Store Volume
For Chowbus, looking beyond the pandemic means finding creative ways to help its restaurant partners boost in-store dining as it continues upgrading its app experience.
Tech Stack Recap: Low-Friction Order Handoffs
During the FOD Tech Stack panel focused on low-friction order handoffs, Del Taco, Apex Supply Chain and CardFree shared creative high-tech and non-tech solutions to increase volume and ease the ordering process for consumers.
Virtual Operator Stay’d Pushes Hospitality into Delivery
High-touch, hospitality-minded restaurant folks are more than ready to bring people back into restaurants. But the founders behind delivery-only virtual restaurant brand Stay'd are looking to bring some of that high-touch hospitality to the delivery experience....
After Off-Premises Tests, Famous Dave’s is Ready to Grow Again
As the parent company of Famous Dave’s gradually transitions away from table service and large-format restaurants, BBQ Holdings is distilling what it’s learned from years of delivery-focused experiments to come out of the pandemic swinging as it shifts into growth mode.
DoorDash Launches Same-Day COVID Test Delivery
DoorDash announced that it will begin facilitating same-day delivery of COVID-19 PCR test collection kits across the U.S through partnerships with Vault Health and Everlywell, two digital health companies.
Indy Operator Spotlight: Michael Kudrna of Frato’s Culinary Kitchen
Frato’s Pizza & Catering in Chicago, isn’t just experimenting with direct sales and virtual concepts to survive the pandemic. It’s also with culinary students to provide real-world experience that’s not part of most culinary coursework, including creating virtual brands.
DoorDash Provides Discounted Rapid Tests to Independent Merchants
As a grim but practical sign of the times, DoorDash has partnered with Cellex to make discounted COVID testing available for partnered independent restaurants with three locations or fewer. This new program is a direct result of feedback the company gathered through its Restaurant Advisory Council.
Ghost Bar Slinging Cocktails Virtually
One of the best things about going out for both consumers and restaurants is a perfectly crafted cocktail. With all the syrups, bitters, juices and expert balance, they’re almost invariably better than one can make at home and carry a great profit margin for the...
Uber to Acquire Alcohol Delivery Brand Drizly
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wasn’t kidding when he said ride-sharing will be a comparatively smaller part of the company’s future. It’s bringing alcohol delivery into the fold with the announcement of an agreement to acquire Drizly for approximately $1.1 billion in stock and cash.
Q&A
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Vendors
We understand that things are changing rapidly, and your business may be changing as well. We have provided a convenient list of industry leading companies that can help provide valuable products and service solutions during this difficult time.