Q&A: How Walmart's restaurants are evolving

Darryl Spinks, the company's head of retail services, talks about the shift into ghost kitchens and plans to more actively court small and regional restaurant tenants.

By Jeff Wells • May 28, 2021

Ghost kitchen provider JustKitchen to raise $20M as it plots US expansion

The company will enter Seattle and several California cities as part of its international growth plan, and will use the funds to develop software and build more spoke kitchens.   

By Julie Littman • Updated June 9, 2021

Grubhub teams with Restaurant Strong Fund to offer $2M in grants

The program's $5,000 grants for select restaurants with five or fewer locations could help fill the gap left by the Restaurant Revitalization Fund's early closure.

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 25, 2021

Food halls, ghost kitchens and the future of in-store restaurants

Rather than shying away from offering fresh meals and in-store dining due to lingering safety concerns and elevated at-home cooking trends, grocers are leaning into restaurants like never before.

By Jeff Wells • May 24, 2021

DoorDash may be plotting European expansion

The dominant U.S. third-party delivery aggregator appears to be preparing a debut in Germany, listing 21 job postings in Berlin ranging from management to recruitment and logistics roles. 

By Alicia Kelso • May 19, 2021

Quiznos, Taco Del Mar to open 100 ghost kitchen units

The Rego Restaurant Group brands join a growing network of chains, including Saladworks and Wow Bao, that have partnered with Ghost Kitchen Brands. 

By Julie Littman • May 19, 2021

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs law requiring delivery companies to disclose fees

California's legislation requires third-party aggregators to provide an itemized cost breakdown of each transaction to both diners and eateries. 

By Alicia Kelso • Updated Oct. 6, 2021

Celebrities bring sizzle to new virtual restaurant brands from Nextbite

The SoftBank-backed startup launched a taqueria brand with comedian George Lopez and a "munchie menu" concept with rapper Wiz Khalifa.

By Chris Kelly • May 14, 2021

DoorDash boosts revenue nearly 200% despite driver shortage

The company worked to improve its network efficiency, expanded its marketing to gain more drivers and improved conversion rates to help overcome the impacts of a delivery courier shortage. 

By Julie Littman • May 14, 2021

Chick-fil-A will launch a virtual brand in Nashville

While the chain has tested ghost kitchens, this appears to be its first virtual brand. The concept, called Little Blue Menu, will serve Chick-fil-A's classic menu alongside roasted chicken and wings.

By Julie Littman • May 13, 2021

Grubhub launches commission-free platform for independent restaurants

Grubhub Direct allows independent operators to create customizable ordering websites, manage customer relationships and access diner data including names, emails and order history.

By Julie Littman • May 12, 2021

The hunger wars

How the pandemic has altered the dynamics of restaurants and delivery providers.

May 10, 2021

Why restaurants need to be digital now

To thrive in an increasingly online marketplace, restaurants need to invest in technologies that help manage the customer relationship and manage delivery automation, says Hypertrack founder and CEO Kashyap Deorah.

By Kashyap Deorah • May 7, 2021

Square adds to-go alcohol delivery feature

The commission-free, on-demand delivery option lets restaurants and bars offer customers the option to buy alcohol from their website and have it delivered through DoorDash.

By Alicia Kelso • May 6, 2021

Five Guys franchisee opens the chain's first US ghost kitchen

Encore Restaurants, the largest Five Guys franchisee, opened a delivery-only location in Garland, Texas, on May 1, joining a growing list of chains using this channel for expansion.

By Alicia Kelso • May 5, 2021

Uber and Gopuff link up on 'everyday essentials' e-shop

The deal marks the first time Uber has partnered with a vertically integrated delivery business, reflecting the company's push to diversify its delivery arm in a bid to reach profitability. 

By Jeff Wells • May 5, 2021

Wow Bao to open ghost kitchen locations in Walmart stores

The chain is already on its way to reaching 1,000 locations this year, and its new 100-unit partnership with Ghost Kitchen Brands will allow it to enter into the grocery store space. 

By Julie Littman • May 3, 2021

McDonald's Q1 bolstered by chicken sandwich, marketing investments

The chain also generated nearly $1.5 billion in digital sales for the period and has over 20 million active app users, which could boost its loyalty program once it comes out of test mode.

By Alicia Kelso • April 30, 2021

New Uber feature allows users to pick up restaurant orders during their ride

The company also announced other updates, including the ability for a customer to make multiple orders at one time and pre-ordering when an establishment is closed.

By Emma Liem Beckett • April 29, 2021

DoorDash launches 3-tiered commission fee structure

The 15%, 25% and 30% commission plans come amid operator complaints of high third-party fees during the pandemic and as markets consider making temporary delivery caps permanent. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • April 27, 2021

Domino's resurrects '80s brand icon the Noid to spotlight autonomous delivery

The chain is rolling the dice on Nuro's driverless delivery vehicles taking off in a meaningful way as COVID-19 drives up demand for contactless options.

By Peter Adams • April 26, 2021

Grubhub settles lawsuit over non-partnered listings

As part of its agreement, the third-party aggregator said it would add a form to allow restaurants to take ownership of listings, as well as request updates to menus and hours or removal from the platform.

By Julie Littman • April 21, 2021

Chick-fil-A pilots robot delivery as investment in autonomous tech grows

The QSR has partnered with Kiwibot to fulfill off-premise orders with roving bots that can complete deliveries in 30 minutes on average for $1.99.

By Alicia Kelso • April 14, 2021

Panera, a self-delivery pioneer, shutters its channel

The fast casual giant told Restaurant Business that a pivot to third-party platforms only will allow it to offer a wider delivery range to accommodate a surge in delivery demand.

By Alicia Kelso • April 13, 2021

Report: 37% of diners order delivery from the channel with the lowest fees

Research from BentoBox and The Infatuation also finds that nearly 50% of diners would order delivery directly from a restaurant if it's an easy process. 

By Alicia Kelso • April 12, 2021