latest posts

Trump Supporters Urge Grubhub Boycott after CEO Decries ‘Hateful Politics’

By Nicholas Upton | November 11, 2016

Grubhub is facing a surge of backlash on social media after CEO Matt Maloney issued a statement criticizing President-elect Donald Trump’s divisive campaign rhetoric. In a statement issued Thursday, Maloney wrote the following: While demeaning, insulting and ridiculing minorities, immigrants and the physically/mentally disabled worked for Mr. Trump, I want to be clear that this behavior – and these views, have no place at Grubhub. Had he worked here, many of his comments would have resulted in his immediate termination. His statement went on to say the company has cultivated a “culture of support and […]

How to profit at the intersection of food, mobility and technology

By Nancy Monroe | November 3, 2016

The editors of Franchise Times Corp, (publisher of Franchise Times, the Restaurant Finance Monitor and Foodservice News) are launching a start-up media project to provide insights, news and information to all those innovative businesses that are “profiting at the intersection of food, mobility and technology.”

News on Demand – November 2016

By fodnews | November 1, 2016

Could these canoes be Domino’s new delivery fleet?

Raising money
Food delivery start-up Postmates raised $141 million in a financing round led by Founders Fund, a San Francisco VC firm already an investor. Shares were sold at the same price as last year’s round, Bloomberg Technology stated. The additional cash gives the company a valuation of about $600 million, the online story said. Postmates, which currently operates in 44 markets, plans to expand internationally in 2017.

Experts predict huge growth for on-demand delivery services

By Tom Kaiser | October 31, 2016

Look out brick and mortar: Executives at two of the industry’s biggest brands—Postmates and DoorDash—suggest the pace of new product offerings, internal tech upgrades, big-brand partnerships and industry consolidation is still accelerating as more consumers and investors adopt the idea that anything can be delivered right to their doors.

Want organic, homemade baby food delivered to your door? There’s an appetite for that

By Nancy Monroe | October 31, 2016

At one time “food on demand” and “baby” in the same sentence referred to whether to feed your newborn on a schedule or when he or she demanded it. Now it’s a whole new industry, as local and national start-ups are cranking out organic, farm-to-baby-spoon subscription services for busy, health-conscious parents.

A Conversation with Bite Squad CEO Kian Salehi

By Laura Michaels | October 31, 2016

Bite Squad is the only national company to employ its drivers and to focus exclusively on food delivery. How will the self-funded Minnesota company continue to drive sales as it expands to other major metro areas? Keep reading…

Look up in the sky: It’s a bird, it’s a drone, it’s…a burrito?

By Nicholas Upton | October 31, 2016

For futurists, technology nerds and Google fans, the cool factor of delivering food via drones is off the charts. Just type in an order via kiosk and look to the sky. But for restaurant operators hoping to dispatch delivery drones, the Chipotle test is a testament to how far the industry has to go until service by drones is feasible.

Third-Party Delivery Fees? It’s a negotiable secret

By Nicholas Upton | October 3, 2016

By Nicholas Upton

How much does a third-party delivery cost? Well, it depends who you ask and how good their contract is. Of all the transparency and data that technology brings to the restaurant industry, what exactly the fees are for restaurants is pretty murky.

Can Domino’s Be Stopped?

By Tom Kaiser | October 3, 2016

It’s that time of year again: leaves falling, temperatures chilling and, once again, Domino’s is the star of the quarterly earnings show. On the eve of my trip to the pizza giant’s headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I’m writing questions and wondering if this high-tech pizza brand can be stopped in light of its 22 consecutive quarters of positive sales growth. In reporting its Q3 ‘16 financial results, Domino’s reported same-stores up 13 percent during the quarter, very strong international sales growth—91 consecutive quarters of int’l SSS growth—store growth of […]

Whether it’s coming or going, Taco Cat stands for really good food for drunk gourmets

By Nancy Monroe | October 3, 2016

By Nancy Weingartner For three and five years, respectively, Tristan Jimerson and Daniel Laeger-Hagemeister delivered sandwiches freakishly fast for Jimmy John’s. No one, Jimerson says, has delivery as dialed in as Jimmy John’s. Since the delivery zone for each store is small, their sandwiches sometimes rode in cars, sometimes in messenger bags via bicycles. “Jimmy John’s was our training,” he says. The two have taken that knowledge and passed it on to a fleet of former bike couriers who as victims of the shrinking demand for couriered legal work thanks […]