latest posts

Amazon, Supermarkets Neck and Neck in Online Grocery Race

By Tom Kaiser | October 19, 2018

No other grocery provider even comes close to Amazon’s dominant position relative to online grocery retailing, according to a new report from Brick Meets Click’s latest consumer survey. Amazon has captured 30 percent of online grocery spending in the U.S.

Read More

Uber Launches Safety Toolkit for Riders, Drivers & Delivery

By Tom Kaiser | October 19, 2018

With a new safety-focused program rolling out to millions of riders, drivers and delivery partners, Uber is using technology to raise the bar on safety in its European, Middle Eastern and African markets.

Read More

GH Lab Store a Convincing Take on Retail’s Future

By Tom Kaiser | October 12, 2018

The new GH Lab store at the Mall of America is a partnership between Good Housekeeping and Amazon—and it’s a convincing look at the future of retail by offering a better experience both for the retailer itself and the customers who browse this carefully curated store. It’s likely no coincidence that GH Lab is sandwiched between an Apple Store and a Microsoft Store. The storefront is glassy and transparent, and the interior is akin to upscale furniture or home goods store where virtual rooms are set up—spa-like bathroom, modern kitchen […]

Read More

‘Fajitas Delivered’ Concept Attracts Investor Group

By Laura Michaels | October 12, 2018

There are only four tables inside a Fajita Pete’s. That’s not a setup that could work for a lot of restaurants, but when dine-in orders account for less than 10 percent of sales, a handful of seats is plenty. “We don’t just sell fajitas, we sell convenience,” says Pedro “Pete” Mora, founder of Houston-based Fajita Pete’s, where the majority of sales, about 90 percent, are from catering, delivery and pick-up orders—exactly how Mora intended it. From its 1,200-square-foot restaurants, the 10 locations of Fajita Pete’s across Texas put out fresh-grilled […]

Read More

Caviar Aims to Bring Zesty Catering Nationwide

By Tom Kaiser | October 12, 2018

With investor cash continuing to pile into the restaurant and delivery worlds, the biggest players are outlining plans to go their own unique directions. In a recent conversation with Caviar’s Anjarae Washington, head of Caviar For Teams and its new catering-focused acquisition Zesty, she said the company is preparing to take Zesty outside of its Bay Area home turf. New to M&A parenthood, San Francisco-based Square/Caviar acquired Zesty in April of this year. Washington said the purchase included Zesty’s staff of approximately 30 team members who are now integrated into […]

Read More

BVLOS Drone Test a Step Toward ‘Railway in the Sky’

By Nicholas Upton | October 12, 2018

The holy grail of drone delivery has always been fully automated or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations where a restaurant, a retailer or even a medical practitioner can load a delivery drone without a pilot. While the technology is largely ready for BVLOS drone flights, regulators have been extremely cautious about allowing drone operators to do so. So far, there have been only a handful of waivers and limited tests around the world. But one drone operation out of Canada has just wrapped up what looks to be […]

Read More

POS Provider Qu Aims for ‘Uber Like’ Self Delivery

By Nicholas Upton | October 11, 2018

There is a lot of attention on the point of sale when it comes to food delivery. Numerous aggregators are playing in the space and some point of sale (POS) companies are figuring out integrations of their own as well. The POS provider Qu, formerly known as Gusto, has announced a new tool that would empower restaurant operators and brands to take on delivery in-house. But the platform promises technology tools typically only seen at pure-play third-party delivery firms or companies with a massive technology budget. Qu CEO Amir Hudda, […]

Read More

Superfood Wellness Wagon’s a Welcome Addition to Food Delivery

By Nancy Monroe | October 11, 2018

It’s the antithesis of the neighborhood ice cream truck: flats of microgreens delivered to farmers markets, restaurants, schools and some tony neighborhoods in Central Florida via the Superfood Wellness Wagon. “’On demand food is one of our taglines,’” says Jim Gale, founder of Mobile Greens Wellness, a health food growing and delivery company. The idea is to turn the customer’s packaged-food and can-laden pantry into a living pantry, so they can be “producers rather than consumers,” he points out. The Wellness Wagon is actually a trailer that holds 80 flats […]

Read More

Pincho Factory Grows Delivery Footprint for Its Latin Street Food

By fodnews | October 11, 2018

The more delivery services the better it seems, at least for Miami-based Pincho Factory, which announced expanded partnerships with UberEats, Postmates and DoorDash as it looks to get its grilled skewers and burgers in the hands of more consumers. The third-party delivery services, along with online ordering from Olo, are rolling out at all 10 Pincho Factory locations this fall. “When seeking delivery providers that best fit Pincho’s needs, we believe we found the winning formula in these great partners who understood the brand and our goals for expanding our […]

Read More

Bringg Links Arms with DoorDash

By Tom Kaiser | October 11, 2018

It’s still a land rush in restaurant delivery, with an ongoing rush of major investments, new partnerships and new markets where on-demand delivery is still the new kid in town. The latest news is DoorDash’s partnership with Bringg, the Israel-based delivery operations platform. This new partnership will enable restaurants that use Bringg to seamlessly integrate DoorDash Drive, which is a service that allows restaurants to offer to delivery to customers directly with the restaurant to expand the size and reach of their delivery operations.

Read More