Tony Capuano, Donatos Pizza
Tony Capuano is a third-generation member of the founding family of Donatos Pizza, bringing a lifelong passion for entrepreneurship and the family legacy. He began working in Donatos restaurants at age 14 and later gained independent franchise experience as the...Jamie Creed, Siemens Industry
Jamie Creed is the assistant to the director at Siemens Industry. She manages a 24/7 call center and brings personal insight into the restaurant industry. Prior to her current role, she worked as an executive assistant, ordering lunch in every day of the week in...Dan Simpson, Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe
Dan Simpson has served as CEO of Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe since 2018, after serving as the Chief Innovation Officer starting in 2016. Previously, he was a Taziki’s franchisee and managing partner at Fresh Hospitality. Mr. Simpson was the co-founder...Patrick Shaheen, Ballard Brands
With more than 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry—including 30 years in franchising and over two decades in executive leadership—I bring deep operational and strategic expertise to the food and beverage space. Over the course of my career, I’ve...
Starbucks, Little Caesars Launch ChatGPT Ordering as AI Reshapes Discovery
Ordering food has long started with opening an app and scrolling through menus. That starting point is beginning to change. Starbucks and Little Caesars are among the latest restaurant brands testing ordering through ChatGPT, part of a broader move toward AI-driven...
Bites CEO Calls 3PD ‘Broken,’ Says AI Will Fix It
Bala Subramaniam, CEO and founder of San Francisco-based food-ordering startup Bites, considers today’s third-party delivery model “broken” — a system he says prioritizes middleman marketplaces that charge high commissions while maintaining control of customer data. ...
Toast Rolls Out Unified Drive-Thru Platform
Toast has introduced Toast Drive-Thru, an enterprise-grade platform designed to help quick-service restaurants improve throughput and order accuracy by bringing drive-thru operations into a single system. The launch comes as more than 140,000 drive-thru locations...
Uber Eats Now Delivers Returns for a Fee
In a move that further emphasizes delivery beyond food for Uber Eats, the platform launched courier returns through the app April 17, marking the first initiative of its kind for the on-demand third-party delivery industry. App users can send eligible retail items...Jacob Ortiz
Jacob Ortiz is an experienced operations and workplace services leader with more than 13 years of experience across hospitality, hotel operations, and corporate workplace environments. He currently serves as a Metro Workplace Lead for Accenture, bringing a strong...
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.