Virtual Expansion as a Market Test
Famous Dave’s is further expanding its virtual, delivery-only operations. Thus far, the sales through these channels have been good, and CEO Jeff Crivello said it puts the legacy barbecue concept back in growth mode without the expense of building large-scale...
SoftBank Doubles Down on Delivery with $120M Ordermark Investment
SoftBank, the Japanese private equity firm that has been a major backer of DoorDash and Uber, announced a $120-million funding round for L.A.-based Ordermark to help the online order management provider and virtual restaurant operator grow and expand its offerings....
DoorDash Helping Closed Restaurants “Reopen for Delivery”
Starting with a BBQ joint in Chicago that closed due to the pandemic, DoorDash is rolling out a new program to help restaurants reopen as delivery-only locations. It’s the first partnership in the delivery brand’s new “Reopen for Delivery” initiative to help...
ItsaCheckmate Dives into Details of Inspire Brands Investment
Inspire Brands, the parent company of Arby’s, Sonic, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John’s and Rusty Taco, has signed an agreement with ItsaCheckmate, and also invested an undisclosed sum in the fast-growing, New York-based delivery integration software platform. This news...
Q&A with Hy-Vee’s Upscale C-Store Lead
Hy-Vee, an employee-owned grocery chain that’s been a leader in convenience and off-premises realms, is rolling out Fast & Fresh convenience stores that give customers a wide range of grab-and-go and take-and-bake pickup options, along with more traditional meal...
CloudKitchens Spends Big on 40 New Properties
Recently revealed real estate documents provide another hint at what ghost-kitchen builder CloudKitchens has going on behind the scenes. According to The Wall Street Journal, CloudKitchens has gobbled up 40 properties across the country, spending more than $130...
Kroger, ClusterTruck Expand Ghost Kitchen Partnership
Ghost-kitchen operator ClusterTruck and grocery juggernaut Kroger have been expanding on a partnership that they first inked last year. Read our previous coverage on the partnership in which Kroger lent its branding to the Indianapolis-area ghost kitchen operator...
Testing Third-Party Convenience Stores
By Tom Kaiser and Nicholas Upton There’s nothing more convenient than doing nothing. One tiny step below that is opening a delivery app to plug in a convenience store order, now that so many third-party delivery services have added C-store delivery to their...
FOD Tests Dream Dinners’ Pivot into Meals-by-Mail
Dream Dinners can be a lifeline for busy parents and folks who want an easy dinner. In normal times, customers show up, prep a whole bunch of meals for the next few weeks and take them home. Of course, standing in a dinner-prep assembly line during a pandemic is not...
Outstanding Operators
Food On Demand Outstanding Operators features restaurant brands with innovative operations that are taking creative paths to success with delivery and all things off-premises.