We’re officially seven months out from the second-annual Food On Demand Conference, April 1-2 in downtown Chicago, and the Food On Demand team is going full steam organizing the largest-ever gathering of delivery providers, technology experts, foodservice analysts and restaurant operators. Registration is now open for this groundbreaking event designed to help restaurants drive profitable delivery sales, maintain brand standards, navigate financial and legal hurdles, leverage customer data to attract and retain customers, and also to learn about the latest in mobile ordering technology, virtual kitchens and hear directly from […]
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According to Brick Meets Click, a research firm that’s been tracking the online grocery migration since 2011, the number of U.S. households shopping for groceries online is up 22 percent over the previous year, to a new high of 5.5 percent of households. That’s up from 3.4 percent in just two years ago.
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An Indianapolis food-delivery startup called ClusterTruck is tweaking the food-delivery model and taking aim at some of the foundational issues within the space. Essentially, ClusterTruck is a collection of different menus or “virtual food trucks” that are all cooked in one central kitchen. When the order of pad Thai, burgers, tacos and/or barbecue is done, it’s handed off to a ClusterTruck driver for an extremely fast delivery. “It’s about six minutes, we get really, really disappointed if your food is eight minutes old,” said Founder/CEO Chris Baggott. From order to […]
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I dream of a bizarro-world grocery store where the shelves are fully stocked, confusing ads are banished and the inefficiency of crying babies, unhurried seniors and flustered moms are nowhere in sight—it’s just me, my cart and a Supermarket Sweep-like blast up and down the aisles in two minutes flat. Of course my fantasy isn’t real, but my recent tour of the CobornsDelivers warehouse in suburban Minneapolis was shocking for the many efficiencies and innovations in a delivery warehouse that’s infinitely more streamlined than anything in your typical supermarket. My […]
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As casual-dining chains saw traffic decline over the past decade, many began turning to delivery as a way to draw customers and boost off-premise sales. It’s a strategy that’s showing results and some companies are doubling down on what’s becoming not merely an industry trend but a fundamental shift in how restaurants operate.
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On any given day thousands of office workers spill out into the skyways in search of nourishment from one of the approximately 140 different dining options. So when iconic Hell’s Kitchen decided to part company with its third-party delivery provider, they continued with their plan to build custom carts to deliver catering orders via the skyways.
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Step aside robots and drones, homebound diners in Minneapolis are getting their food delivered via Rock-It. Or to be exact, a Rock-It Bicycle Delivery rider.
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Nobody does irreverent marketing better than Minneapolis-based Parasole Restaurant Holdings. And when a billboard goes up for the multi-concept restaurateur’s Chino Latino brand and he doesn’t get a few angry phone calls, “I don’t feel like I’m doing my job,” CEO Phil Roberts says.
Read MoreShowing no slowdown from 2017 when it acquired 17 local restaurant delivery companies, Bite Squad added service to 100 U.S. cities with another 100 planned for the rest of the year. By the end of the year, the company expects to be in 400 cities across 22 states. Founder and CEO Kian Salehi said the company is targeting underserved areas Unlike other gig-economy deliver companies, Bite Squad drivers are internal, W-2 drivers (compared with 1099 gig economy drivers). The Minneapolis-based company says employing its 5,000 drivers allows for benefits like […]
Read MoreMcAlister’s Deli is expanding the online catering platform it began back in April. By the end of 2018, the Atlanta-based fast-casual sandwich and soup concept will fully integrate its catering program into all of its 400+ locations. With convenience a top priority, McAlister’s added on-the-go ordering through the company app and curbside pickup, in-restaurant pick-up stations and additional pick-up windows to handle the added volume. So far, those additions are driving increased app sales, with 21 of 40 restaurants adding the feature now appearing in the top 25 percent of […]
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