Brian Lichorowic CMO, Vistry Brian L. Lichorowic is a seasoned industry veteran with over 30 years in high-tech marketing, playing a key role as an C-level executive in three IPOs. A former Olympian, he’s recognized in major media and has been nominated for two Cleo awards. Holding patents in data capture for HIPAA-compliant databases, he pioneered a 508 compliant service for over 900K visually impaired users. Additionally, he’s a Paris-trained chef with a degree in Microgravity Horticulture. The post Brian Lichorowic, CMO, Vistry appeared first on Food On Demand ..read more

GoTo Foods is Food On Demand’s next Outstanding Operator.  The multi-brand platform is being recognized for implementing strategies to best manage and grow the off-premises side of each of its seven brands, while building and integrating technologies to streamline operations.  GoTo Foods (formerly known as Focus Brands) rebranded in February. The rebrand served as a means to scale existing brands and acquire new ones. At present, GoTo Foods is the parent company of McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Schlotzsky’s ..read more

Chick-fil-A is Food On Demand’s next Outstanding Operator.  The chain is being recognized for innovating its off-premises side of the business, from building digital-friendly prototypes, order-ahead mobile lanes to testing new concepts to streamline delivery.  The fast-casual has over 3,000 locations and opens more than 100 stores each year. Most recently, it opened its first mobile pickup restaurant in New York City where it solely fulfils digital orders.  Chick-fil-A opened its first mobile pickup restaurant in New York City i ..read more

One thing that is a constant in restaurant management is change. Embrace it or risk obsolescence. But there’s a corollary to that. While being open to change, it’s also good to retain tried-and-true tactics. The ability to hold both philosophies at once can unlock success. Food On Demand recently recognized 20 operators for outstanding performance and innovation in the off-premises world. They each have wisdom and insights that could easily be taught at the Wharton School. Here are just some of their learnings that you might consider in your own operations. Some lean into the future, some lean ..read more

Remember the days when Getir had a valuation of $12 billion and seemed poised to become the Amazon of lightning-quick grocery delivery? Ah, memories. Getir announced Monday that it is closing operations in the U.S., Germany, the U.K., and the Netherlands. It will keep the lights on only in Turkey, where it got its start in 2015. Getir’s pitch in its heyday was snappy and glorious: groceries in 15 minutes, from early in the morning to late at night. Investors shoved each other down stairwells to get in line. The company secured its first investment in 2017 and raised more than $2.3 billion thro ..read more

Rob Grimes CEO, IFBTA Founder & CEO Of The IFBTA (The Food And Beverage Technology Association) The IFBTA was launched at FSTEC (Foodservice Technology Conference and Showcase) 2014 which was founded by Rob in 1996, and is a non-profit professional association promoting and advancing technology and innovation for the global food and beverage industries. Prior to establishing the IFBTA, Rob also founded ConStrata Technology Consulting and its predecessor companies, which have been providing information technology consulting services for the global hospitality, foodservice and retail indust ..read more

The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund and Grubhub announced that they are accepting applications for $500,000 in grant opportunities to help NYC-based restaurants improve their environmental footprint. The grants are made possible by the Grubhub Community Fund. The fund provides resources to support updates to kitchen equipment, particularly coal- and wood-burning ovens, that lowers carbon emissions. It aims to alleviate some of the financial burden on small businesses as they make necessary operational updates to improve environmental sustainability. Restaurants can apply for a gr ..read more

It wasn’t that long ago, mid-February of 2023, that Chipotle announced a farm-to-table concept, Farmesa Fresh Eatery, with the excitement of a baby announcement. It opened in a Kitchen United MIX food hall in Santa Monica, offering customizable protein bowls, which consumers could order from an onsite kiosk or through delivery. It seemed primed to carve out territory in a new nexus of healthy meals served in modern ways. But it didn’t. Kitchen United shuttered the location and Chipotle decided not to tread on. “We are much more focused on just turning Chipotle into an iconic brand,” said CEO B ..read more

If the Domino’s Noid from the 80s were a Domino’s driver from today, he’d likely make $15.91 an hour, according to research from ZipRecruiter. Customers usually help out by giving drivers a gratuity. The company is now encouraging this by reimbursing online tips. The pizza chain recently launched its “You Tip, We Tip” promotion. When customers tip a courier $3 or more online, they will receive a $3 coupon, along with a “You’ve been tipped” message. The coupon will be valid for a week after each order. Domino’s claims it is the first quick-service restaurant to tip customers for tipping their d ..read more

Genevieve Babineau Sr. Marketing Manager, ezCater As leader of ezCater’s Partner Marketing team, Genevieve Babineau helps create value for the 110,000+ catering partners on the ezCater Marketplace, curating a network of the best local and national brands, and telling their stories through engaging thought leadership content. Before joining ezCater in 2018, Genevieve spent over 10 years in Operations, Sales, and Marketing in the restaurant industry, most notably at California Pizza Kitchen, where she started as a server and worked her way to become the brand’s East Coast Marketing Manager and ..read more