The Latest News
ItsaCheckmate Releases Reconcile to Consolidate Third-Party Orders
ItsaCheckmate is promising brands they can simplify the process of tracking and reporting third-party statements into one unified view with its new Reconcile product.
Chipotle Tests ‘Autocado” a Guacamole Prep Robot
Chipotle aims to slash employee time spent preparing their signature guacamole with new robotic prototype.
Velvet Taco Leans on AI for Latest Feature: The Chat GPTaco
Velvet Taco launches the Chat GPTaco as part of its weekly taco feature—one of the first AI-generated menu items in the fast-casual dining scene.
UPDATED: Domino’s Inks Delivery Partnership with Uber Eats
After years of holding out, Domino’s signed a deal allowing U.S. customers to order through Uber Eats and Postmates.
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....
Ghoster Combines the Art of Virtual Restaurants with Science
Ghoster is the latest early-stage virtual restaurant provider promising that a focus on operations and technology will make the difference for restaurants bringing new brands into their kitchens.
Saladworks Inks Deal with Ghost Kitchen Brands, Walmart
Fast-casual franchise Saladworks is partnering with Ghost Kitchen Brands to open in dozens of non-traditional locations by the end of 2021, many of which will be inside Walmart stores.
Squarespace Acquires Tock
Tock, the restaurant reservation platform that moved into carryout and events, has been acquired by website and ecommerce platform Squarespace in a $400 million mix of cash and stock.
Chipotle Invests In Autonomous Delivery Company Nuro
Chipotle has invested in Nuro, a California-based autonomous vehicle manufacturer that’s been making news ever since its founding in 2016. Known for delivery vehicles that are similar to Smart cars, it has tested deliveries with Domino’s, grocery stores and others,...
The Siren Call of Self Delivery
Self-delivery remains a tricky concept for the majority of restaurant operators. Many, especially independents, are reluctant to hire drivers, deal with the overhead and manage the technology layer necessary to give consumers what they're used to from ecommerce. It...
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.
FOD Tech Stack Event: Delivery DIY or Outsourcing?
During the final session of FOD’s Building Your Off-Premises Tech Stack event, Grubhub’s Liz Bosone joined OrderB4’s Randy Murphy and Leah Willis, digital systems and technology manager at Flour Bakery + Cafe, to discuss whether restaurants should go it alone or outsource their delivery programs.
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
GrubHub Gobbles Up Yelp’s Eat24
After forking over for Foodler in June, Grubhub purchased Eat24 from Yelp for $287.5 million, further solidifying its status as the leading provider of third-party food delivery. Investors celebrated Grubhub’s soon-to-be expanded menu and possibilities of the ongoing partnership with Yelp, skyrocketing the shares of both companies in the days following the announcement.
Research
Starbucks Dives Deep With UberEats Delivery Deal
With mall and hotel kiosks, packaged goods on store shelves and drive-thrus all over, you might feel like Starbucks is everywhere, but a new delivery partnership with UberEats means that coffee call may soon be coming from inside your house.
The Deliverers
Dutch-X Expanding Bike-Based, W2 Delivery Fleet
A husband-and-wife duo in NYC built the largest self-owned e-bike delivery provider in the U.S.
Best Practices
What are your peers doing in delivery? Get some of the best practices out there.
Checkers, Presto Embark on Major AI Voice Rollout
AI voice ordering is rolling out in a big way under a new partnership between the fast-food giant Checkers and tech partner Presto. The pair announced a plan to roll out an automated voice ordering assistant to all of the fast-food giant's 267 company-operated...