There are a lot of players in the fast-growing delivery software integrator space, and almost all of them are growing quickly. California-based Omnivore is sprinting in lockstep, having tripled the size of the company in the last 12 months. It is forecasting another big wave of growth after partnering with one of its primary competitors and inking a big-deal partnership with Coca-Cola to provide delivery integration to the beverage giant’s massive network of restaurant operators. Addressing Coke’s newfound interest in delivery, Omnivore Chief Marketing Officer Shane Wheatland likened the brand’s […]
As Dunkin’s new director of catering and delivery, Brandy Blackwell has her work cut out to improve convenience in a system with close to 9,500 locations in the U.S. With millions of Americans living above or adjacent to a Dunkin’ or, at the least, passing one on their commute, it’s an interesting experiment to make a brand that’s nearly ubiquitous even more accessible. Given its massive footprint, Dunkin’ signing with Grubhub to bring delivery to 400 NYC locations was a big deal for both parties. Blackwell said she feels the […]
In the fourth installment of its food delivery survey, Wells Fargo surveyors asked 575 delivery customers what would drive them back into a restaurant for an in-store visit. The somewhat hilarious answer? Lower menu prices and free menu items. Yes, that ought to do it. How about free vodka tonics? OK, while it’s easy to paint with a broad brush and laugh at that one, Wells Fargo analysts Jon Tower and William Miller were specifically asking about exclusive, in-restaurant-only menu items that came in as the second most prevalent response […]
The joyous sound of flying hamburgers is about to be heard in the city of Hope Springs, North Carolina. Under an approved proposal, drone company Flytrex and drone services company Causey Aviation Unmanned will soon begin food deliveries. The program is part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) UAS Integration Pilot Program and comes after Flytrex got some important safety approval. A key part of that approval from the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) [so many acronyms] was a self-triggered parachute system that would slow the descent of a […]
When we order food in the office via one of the third-party apps, it’s not hard, but it’s also not easy. Generally, whoever had the great idea to get food delivered has to glean everyone’s order from our office messaging app Slack and plug them in or wander around the office sharing his or her phone for every person’s order. In short, it’s clunky. Waitr revamped its group ordering to make that easier along with a few other quality-of-life perks in its new app. According to Waitr Product Manager Coco […]
Waitr, a Louisiana-based third-party delivery provider that focuses on smaller markets, has struggled mightily since acquiring Minnesota-based Bite Squad in January. In the seven months since that deal was big news in the delivery space, Waitr’s share price has cratered and Bite Squad shareholders who received approximately 10 million Waitr shares have seen a diminution of value of more than $100 million. With the benefit of hindsight, it looks as if businessman and TV personality Tilman Fertitta made a big mistake getting into the delivery business. Needless to say, the […]
Predicting that the delivery world will suffer mightily from a growing shortage of drivers, California-based Udelv is researching, building and hiring to help commercialize autonomous automobile deliveries with a particular focus on groceries, retail goods and, eventually, prepared meals. We recently brought you the story of Udelv partnering with H-E-B, the largest grocer in Texas, which prompted a deeper dive with Adriel Lubarsky, Udelv’s director of business development, who previously ran a delivery company near North Carolina’s Research Triangle. He said the company’s delivery clients have included Walmart, Napa and […]
Postmates is set to join Uber, Grubhub and Waitr in the public markets. According to TechCrunch, the company will file its S-1, the key document to register securities on the public markets next month. Available details are sparse, but the company has partnered with Bank of America and JP Morgan to act as lead underwriters to help sell the stock to investors. Postmates actually filed confidentially with the SEC back in February of this year, but the S-1 will provide a public view of the process for investors. According to […]
After testing electric bicycle deliveries at company-owned stores in Houston, Miami and New York, Domino’s Pizza is giving its U.S. franchisees the option of using custom electric bicycles through a new partnership with Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes. Domino’s says electric bikes are often a better solution to the traffic congestion and parking hassles that are inherent with urban pizza delivery. “Those stores saw improvements in overall delivery and service,” said Tom Curtis, Domino’s executive vice president of corporate operations. “They also experienced labor benefits, as the stores were able to […]
In a letter posted on its Learning Center site, Grubhub claims it has been on the receiving end of “misleading stories in the media” regarding driver tips and practices related to its restaurant contracts that have birthed a raft of negative news stories in recent weeks. The Chicago-based delivery provider strongly refuted several of the claims, but also responded with a three-point plan to address concerns about its business practices. Starting on a defensive foot, Grub says that its namesake brand and Seamless have “helped level the playing field for […]
