Eric Tucker Director of Operation’s Services, Salad and Go Eric Tucker is a seasoned executive with over three decades of experience in restaurant operations. As the Director of Operations Services at Salad and Go, he spearheaded significant initiatives including delivery services and an elevated service program. Previously, as Senior Director of Off-Premise at Fogo, he launched a profitable off-premise revenue channel. His leadership roles at Del Frisco’s, Cheddars, and Romano’s Macaroni Grill have solidified his reputation for revitalizing operational processes and boosting workforce perfor ..read more

Pipedream CEO Garrett McCurrach’s ultimate vision is a society in which consumers can order items and have them delivered in under 10 minutes, for less than $1, and with the ability to instantly return them. To have commerce move like water. He calls the approach hyperlogistics. How will this work? In part through below-ground tubes, linear tracks, robot carts, and above-ground delivery points. Does it sound like something out of Ray Bradbury? Sort of. Is he succeeding in persuading people to buy into his vision? Yes. He just raised $13 million in growth capital. That will pay for a lot of tub ..read more

Mamma Ramona’s is Food On Demand’s next Outstanding Operator. The smaller pizza chain is recognized for consistently testing and implementing new technologies from robots to software—all amid a goal to build an automated pizzeria powerhouse. In 2020, just one month before the pandemic forced restaurant doors to shutter, Andrew Simmons purchased a small-town pizza restaurant outside of San Diego called Mamma Ramona’s.  The timing meant Simmons had to quickly pivot to an off-premises strategy, which ultimately led him to explore the world of automation.  Simmons soon began bu ..read more

A Serve robot can deliver all manner of restaurant items, from burritos to salads, but could it handle an order of $40 million? That is what shareholders delivered to the robotics company last Thursday when the company debuted on the stock exchange. The haul brings the company’s fundraising tally to $93 million since 2021, including $30 million from a reverse merger. The company knows just how it’s going to spend that investment. “We will be expanding our operation in Los Angeles and we are looking to enter new markets,” said Dr. Ali Kashani, Serve’s co-founder and CEO in an interview. Co-fou ..read more

Craveworthy Brands is Food On Demand’s next Outstanding Operator. The multi-concept platform partners with new and emerging fast-casual brands to help them grow. Founded in 2022 by Gregg Majewski, the company brings together a stacked portfolio of options for its franchisees to expand in their existing territories. Craveworthy is the parent company of several brands, including Genghis Grill, BD’s Mongolian Grill and Flat Top Grill, as well as Budlong Southern Chicken, Wing It On, Krafted Burger Bar + Tap and Dirty Dough.  In November, the company partnered with C3 ..read more

Ryan Ramseyer General Manager, Remy Robotics Ryan Ramseyer is the US General Manager of Remy Robotics, a visionary company leveraging robotics and AI to transform the food industry. Ryan oversees the go-to-market strategy and execution for the company, including the expansion of its direct-to-consumer brand Better Days. Remy Robotics has developed a flexible, autonomous robotic kitchen designed to deliver high-quality delicious food affordably, consistently, and profitably at scale. Prior to joining Remy Robotics in 2024, Ryan held several key roles at Restaurant Brands International in Switz ..read more

Two significant industry surveys recently came out, one voicing the opinions of consumers and the other operators, both revealing agreement in two areas: kiosks and loyalty programs. Tillster polled more than 1,000 U.S.-based quick-service and fast-casual diners about their digital ordering expectations, both inside and off-premises. One of their findings shows that diners are increasingly comfortable with kiosks. Fifty-seven percent of those who use kiosks wish restaurants had more available. This is compared to 36 percent who said the same thing last year. More than that, 83 percent of diner ..read more

If you are a consumer in the greater Seattle area craving one of Panera’s tasty soups, or a diner in Detroit hankering for a slice from Jet’s Pizza, you will soon be able to look to the skies for sustenance through a new drone-delivery option. Flynn Group, the largest franchise operator in the world, will use Zipline to deliver from its select properties of Panera Bread in the greater Seattle metro area. Panera customers will place orders for Zipline delivery directly through Zipline’s app and get their orders delivered by drone to their homes. The technology is expected to be available in ear ..read more

Retail technology solutions company Sparkfly announced its partnership with Olo, a top restaurant technology provider. Sparkfly’s technology promises a higher degree of personalization and rewards for Olo’s brands as the two platforms work together. The integration will replace previous all-in-one platforms by offering loyalty experiences as well as guest engagement for orders placed on the web, via mobile, and in-store. Combined, Sparkfly and Olo currently support tens of thousands of restaurant locations. Nolan, Decoster, SVP Business Development at Olo, said they are excited by this collabo ..read more

The uproar Wendy’s faced regarding its alleged intention to introduce surge pricing at hundreds of its fast-food restaurants could have spelled doom for dynamic pricing startups like Juicer. However, rather than causing setbacks, the controversy surrounding Wendy’s publicity debacle has prompted industry brands – once previously apprehensive about dynamic pricing – to become more informed about the menu optimization strategy. And San Francisco-based Juicer is benefiting from a rise in interest. “It was the best thing that ever happened to us,” Ashwin Kamlani, Juicer co-founder and CEO, told Fo ..read more