The Latest News
Can Robots Help Pizza Franchises Stay Competitive?
Delivery robots, automated saucing and the injection of AI into the ordering process are a few of the ways in which pizza franchises are working to modernize operations. Brands including Little Caesars, Donatos and Pizza Guys are making tech investments with consistent execution and improved efficiency in mind.
Outstanding Operator: Bushfire Kitchen
A solid and diverse foundation of tech partners is at the center of Bushfire Kitchen’s approach to streamlining operations and, ultimately, expanding the family-owned brand’s footprint.
Outstanding Operator: Houston TX Hot Chicken
Drive-thru optimization, digital ordering, and tech-driven operations are at the heart of Houston TX Hot Chicken’s off-prem investments, elevating the guest experience beyond the restaurant.
Outstanding Operator: Clover
Vegetarian fast-food concept Clover uses tech to streamline off-prem operations for the growing chain with a proudly atypical approach to menu curation.
Domino’s, Pizza Inn Sales Rise Within Slumping Pizza Category, Top 400 Data Shows
Off-premises pizza ended 2024 with $40 billion in sales across 12 brands, according to Franchise Times’ Top 400 data.
Brand Leaders Share AI Insights With Software Developer Palona
From smarter marketing to friendlier workflows, restaurants talk how they’re using AI to elevate staff and guest experiences.
Wonder Begins Testing Robotic Delivery with Avride
In Jersey City, Wonder customers ordering through Grubhub may get their meals delivered by an Avride robot.
Waymo Gets Into Food Delivery
DoorDash customers ordering within a 315-square-mile stretch of Phoenix might get matched with a self-driving Waymo.
AI Steps In to Automate One of Restaurants’ Most Dreaded Tasks
Inventory automation has emerged as one of the most practical and widely accepted uses of AI for restaurants.
Dave’s Hot Chicken Taps Matternet for Drone Delivery
Matternet is the latest drone developer making moves in the restaurant delivery space.
How ChatGPT Is Changing Restaurant Discovery and Online Ordering
OpenAI is adding apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart, and 11 others to ChatGPT later this year, letting users order food, book trips, or shop without leaving the chat.
Analysts and Economists Agree: Off-premises Channels Are Productive, Permanent
Shorter visits, more off-premises orders, and stronger loyalty programs are fueling a surge in restaurant productivity.
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.
Food On Demand Topics
Finance
Panelists Discuss Next-Generation Pricing Strategies
When it comes to pricing, it’s the “topic on every restaurant, every company, and every CEO’s mind,” said Dylan Bolden, managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group.
Research
Southeast Asia food delivery market slows to 5 percent
Online food delivery spending rose 5 percent to $16.3 billion in 2022, according to a report by venture builder Momentum Works.
The Deliverers
Grubhub Taps Amazon Key to Simplify Delivery Access in Gated Communties
Grubhub teams with Amazon Key to provide delivery partners with one-click access to secure residential buildings, streamlining the delivery process.
Best Practices
What are your peers doing in delivery? Get some of the best practices out there.
SoundHound AI Rolls Out New Voice Features and Bets Big on Cars
SoundHound AI continues its mission of presenting ordering options pretty much everywhere.