*Image above provided by Jason Albus Photography Walk-On’s, the Cajun-themed sports bar and restaurant chain partly owned by New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees, has gone all in on family-style meals after each of its 37 locations closed their expansive dining rooms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Focused on three primary questions—what do people want, what can we do and what can we execute—the Louisiana-based brand has created a family-focused to-go menu, while also building makeshift drive-thru lanes and ramping up its food truck program to serve as many customers, […]
According to daily average user data compiled by the research advisors at Gordon Haskett, the COVID-19 crisis is not lifting sales for third-party restaurant delivery providers. Acknowledging that we’re still in “early innings,” the firm’s research pointed to daily volume declines at Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates to conclude that a decline in third-party app usage could be “here to stay,” partially supported by the number of restaurants that have closed instead of pivoting to off-premises operations. This new report includes a comment from Grubhub CEO Matt Maloney, who […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
