You’ve likely seen pictures of empty concourses and TSA lines as global air travel grinds to a near-halt with airplanes being parked in the desert and some carriers transitioning to hauling cargo. All this hasn’t resulted in a total shutdown of airport retail and restaurant operations in most cities, as janitors, gate agents, security personnel and other airport staff continue to eat—with social distancing—even as passenger volume plummets. Third-party airport delivery provider At Your Gate has seen some employees choosing to stay at home, but founder and CEO P.J. Mastracchio […]
Read More
In a new report looking ahead to the restaurant industry as COVID-19 continues to gain steam, stock analysis and financial services firm BTIG has some logical conclusions about where the industry might go from here. Above all, the crisis could be especially bad news for independent restaurants who don’t have the liquidity or scale of chain operators. As the economic impact of the coronavirus spreads across the U.S., “we expect many temporary closures will become permanent and independents will cede share to chain operators,” wrote Peter Saleh. He noted a […]
Read More
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shake the restaurant industry, industry data is giving some clarity to just how bad sales are. Data from various outlets shows an industry in free fall, and while sobering, a clear view is important so the Food On Demand world can respond appropriately. Stock analysis firm Cowen put out a note exploring some point-of-sale (POS) data from WhatsBusy, a data tracking firm that partners with POS providers. Cowen’s Andrew Charles and George Mihalos had a conversation with founder Jordan Thaeler to pour over the […]
Read More
As our household tires of diving into the pantry or freezer for each meal, we checked out two great options: curbside pickup from a local restaurant/market that included a dozen eggs, and a liquor delivery service called Drizly.
Read More
If your restaurant is keeping the lights on amid the coronavirus pandemic, status-quo business plans no longer apply. Two experts in the off-premises space are recommending operators make critical changes immediately to get through this moment, while also setting their restaurants up for success when normalcy finally returns to the dining room. Their advice ranges from launching a customer relationship management (CRM) system to identifying and communicating with your best customers in a personal way, bringing brand fans “into the problem with you,” offering family-style meal kits and mix-at-home drink […]
Read More
With so many offices and factories now closed, it’s a dark time in the catering industry. One of the largest catering marketplaces, ezCater, has rolled out a zero-commission program through April 15, while Foodsby has reportedly laid off the majority of its staff shortly after moving to a new headquarters in downtown Minneapolis. It’s too soon to quantify the impact on catering in specifics, but category expert, ErleDardick,said his phone is ringing off the hook as he connects with industry friends and contacts who are now starting to ponder what’s […]
Read More
It’s hard to quantify how many more people are ordering during the COVID-19 crisis. A new survey from Sense360 shows that 21 percent of respondents are now working from home, with 15 percent saying they would order groceries online, but just 5 percent planning to order more food delivered. With a new marketing push by all the big delivery providers, including National Takeout Day, the DoorDash “Open for Delivery” campaign and big PR pushes from Uber, Grubhub and Postmates about supporting restaurants, one would think there is a huge new […]
Read More
We’re all in this together, that’s the dominant message from DoorDash’s new marketing campaign dubbed “Open for Delivery.” Demonstrating the power of a national brand with national marketing power to help independent restaurant partners in particular, the company rolled out a 30-second ad showing star independent chefs and operators making food for delivery. Part of the message was the heartstring-pulling message: “They’re still there for you, now you can be there for them.” It’s one leg of the company’s push to help partners weather the drastic change in business brought […]
Read More
Food On Demand reporters Nick Upton, Laura Michaels, Tom Kaiser and Callie Evergreen tried curbside delivery service from Red Robin, Applebee’s, Chili’s and TGI Fridays. Our results varied, of course, but there’s always room for improvement.
Read More
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. Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A were the first brands to announce they would shut down dining rooms, but remain open for delivery and to-go orders. And hour-by-hour, more brands announce drastic changes to operations from closing dining rooms, reducing hours or shutting down […]
Read More