The Latest News
Starbucks Brings Brand to ‘Beast Games’ Season 2
The coffee chain teams up with YouTube star MrBeast to engage Gen Z fans through an experiential campaign.
New California Law Impacts 3PD Transparency, Refunds and Courier Protections
California’s Assembly Bill 578 took effect Jan. 1, expanding customer refund requirements, fee transparency and delivery worker protections for food delivery platforms in the nation’s most populous state.
2026 Restaurant Predictions and the Rise of Digital Hospitality
As restaurants head into 2026, operators are rethinking how hospitality shows up beyond the four walls.
Forecasts Anticipate Transformative Decade Ahead for Fully Automated Restaurant Market
With demand for contactless dining experiences increasing and kitchens already turning to robots, the fully automated restaurant market is poised to grow to $6.7 billion by 2033, according to industry research.
Golden Corral Relaunches Its Off-Premises Offshoot With a New Tech Partner
What used to be Homeward Kitchen is now Golden Corral Favorites and it’s thriving thanks in part to Flybuy’s tech platform.
Naya Caters Pop-Up Events As a Key Part Of Its Marketing
It’s betting that one falafel will make you a regular customer and its growth indicates it isn’t wrong.
From LAX to Hollywood, Venhub Expands 24/7 Automated Smart Stores
As contactless shopping grows, Venhub is rolling out its autonomous Smart Stores in places where convenience is key.
University of Chicago Economists Reveal a Surge in QSR Labor Productivity
Labor productivity measurements in restaurants were flat for three decades. Then Covid happened. And after a one-year slump, productivity jumped. The reason is simple: employees are spending less time with in-store consumers, thanks to take-out and delivery, and doing more elsewhere.
You Heard Right. AI in Restaurants is Becoming Normal.
A new Deloitte survey shows that AI is well on its way to becoming commonplace in the industry.
AI Is Not Just For Drive-Thru. It Can Also Help With Front-of-House.
The tech is getting easier to use and more flexible than ever.
Olo to be Acquired by Thoma Bravo in $2B All-Cash Deal
After the deal closes, Olo will continue operating under its current name as a private company.
Atlanta Residents May Have Their Next Meal Delivered by a Robot
Serve rolls out sidewalk robots in Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, and Downtown Atlanta.
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
Catapult Concepts Building a New Model for Virtual Restaurants
Virtual restaurants are going through rapid evolutions as this subset of the restaurant industry matures. By focusing on operational simplicity, Catapult Concepts offers a new method of operating sub brands that the founder says is exceptionally easy and truly...
Research
Four Big Datapoints from YipitData and Sense360
During day one of the 2022 Food On Demand Conference, YipitData and Sense360 went deep—very deep—on industry data. Four big numbers emerged as an interesting snapshot of where the off-premises world stands today. Moderated by Carl Orsbourn, co-author of "Delivering...
The Deliverers
DoorDash Now Helps Restaurants Create Custom Mobile Apps for Ordering
DoorDash introduced several new features, including support for restaurants to create their own mobile apps and an AI-powered call center to assist with ordering.
Best Practices
What are your peers doing in delivery? Get some of the best practices out there.
API Provider MealMe Validates B2B Play With $8 Million Round
It started as a food-delivery price aggregator but is now a thriving tech provider.