Food On Demand

11/28/2025

Sweetgreen pushed forward with investments in technology and customer convenience this week, opening its first location with a fully automated kitchen and an accompanying drive-thru lane Tuesday in Costa Mesa, California. 🥗

The grand opening represents a new chapter of fast-food innovation for the California-based business with more than 260 locations nationwide, according to a Nov. 11 press release. The new restaurant marks the fast-casual brand’s first attempt to fuse its automated “Infinite Kitchen” initiative with a “Sweetlane” drive-up option for guests.

“We launched Sweetlane to meet our digital customers where they are: busy, mobile, and looking for better access to real food,” Chris Tarrant, Sweetgreen chief development officer, said in a statement.

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Sweetgreen Bets on Tech, Convenience with New Location by Hans Lammeman | Nov 19, 2025 | News Briefs Sweetgreen pushed forward with investments in technology and customer convenience this week, opening its first location with a fully automated kitchen and an accompanying drive-thru lane Tuesday in C...

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from the team at Food On Demand 🦃

11/26/2025

Now more than ever, franchisees and franchisors of emerging restaurant brands are finding ways to evolve and drive innovation in an industry far from stagnant.

With rising costs, labor shortages and changes to technology, building success is possible—but that’s easier said than done.

“You have to find a way to do innovation in a way that is authentic to your brand and brand’s voice that feels honorable to you, so the consumer isn’t just looking at whatever random product you’re putting out there at any given time,” said Adam Saxton, co-CEO of The Saxton Group, one of the largest franchisees for McAlister’s Deli with about 80 units across Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

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How Emerging Brands Are Prevailing Amid Operational Shifts by Alyssa Huglen | Nov 19, 2025 | News This article was originally published on Franchise Times, sister publication to Food On Demand. Now more than ever, franchisees and franchisors of emerging restaurant brands are finding ways to evolve a...

11/25/2025

Still in its first year of business, Houston-based restaurant technology company Saivory partnered with another Bayou City brand, Shipley Do-Nuts, to help them reap the sweet benefits of implementing artificial intelligence into the online ordering experience.

Saivory announced the partnership in mid-November, reporting that its “Ordering Assistant” and other AI-powered tools contributed to a 24 percent increase in average order value and more than doubled the average value of third-party delivery orders for the national doughnut chain with more than 330 locations.

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Shipley Do-Nuts sweetens online ordering with Saivory by Hans Lammeman | Nov 18, 2025 | News Briefs Still in its first year of business, Houston-based restaurant technology company Saivory partnered with another Bayou City brand, Shipley Do-Nuts, to help them reap the sweet benefits of implementing....

11/24/2025

When Harri CEO Luke Fryer sat down with Amin Birju, VP of Technology at Taco Bell, and Doug Cook, CTO at Jack in the Box, the talk went straight to the everyday headaches operators know all too well. Thin crews, unpredictable rushes, late-night chaos, and avoidable waste.

On stage Tuesday at the Restaurant Finance and Development Conference at the Bellagio, the three broke down how AI could make running a shift feel easier.

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Operators Want Precision, Inside the AI Shift Conversation by Bernadette Heier | Nov 13, 2025 | News When Harri CEO Luke Fryer sat down with Amin Birju, VP of Technology at Taco Bell, and Doug Cook, CTO at Jack in the Box, the talk went straight to the everyday headaches operators know all too well....

11/21/2025

Artificial intelligence isn’t going away anytime soon. Industry executives see untapped potential in that promise—especially when it comes to restaurant marketing.

“What we see over and over again is that the leaders that are adapting fast and learning quickly are the ones that are winning,” said Dylan Bolden, managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group.

Bolden spoke alongside Boston Consulting Group colleagues Mary Martin and Jon Roberts during a panel on generative AI’s impact on the restaurant industry at this year’s Restaurant Finance & Development Conference November 11 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

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Generative AI Drives Next Phase of Restaurant Marketing by Alyssa Huglen | Nov 13, 2025 | News This article was originally published on Franchise Times, a sister publication to Food On Demand. Artificial intelligence isn’t going away anytime soon. Industry executives see untapped potential in that...

11/20/2025

DoorDash and Coco Robotics are expanding their autonomous delivery partnership to Miami, building on earlier launches in Los Angeles and Chicago.

Coco will also begin handling select orders from DashMart, DoorDash’s delivery-only storefront stocked with groceries and everyday essentials.

The companies first began working together this year, completing more than 14,000 autonomous DashMart deliveries across early pilots in Los Angeles and Chicago.

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DoorDash and Coco Robotics Expand to Miami by Bernadette Heier | Nov 13, 2025 | News Briefs DoorDash and Coco Robotics are expanding their autonomous delivery partnership to Miami, building on earlier launches in Los Angeles and Chicago. Coco will also begin handling select orders from DashMart, Doo...

11/20/2025

Restaurant delivery has a speed problem and a physics problem.
Every day, millions of meals travel across cities in 4,000-pound cars to drop off food that weighs less than five.

“We’re using a private taxi for your burrito,” said Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CEO and co-founder of drone company Zipline. “There has to be a better way.”

Cliffton dove into how Zipline is transforming food delivery on stage at the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference Monday in Las Vegas.

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Zipline’s CEO Talks Drones and the Future of Restaurant Delivery by Bernadette Heier | Nov 11, 2025 | News Restaurant delivery has a speed problem and a physics problem. Every day, millions of meals travel across cities in 4,000-pound cars to drop off food that weighs less than five. “We’re us...

11/19/2025

Sweetgreen has sold Spyce, the robotics and technology behind its Infinite Kitchen format, to Wonder, the multi-concept restaurant company founded by Marc Lore.

The $186.4 million sale transfers ownership of the automation platform that has shaped Sweetgreen’s newest store formats.

A company spokesperson told Food On Demand that the site “will form the bedrock of our efforts to integrate this technology into Wonder’s platform and explore new ways to extend automation beyond bowls, including fryers, ovens, woks, beverages, and more.”

Wonder plans to open an Infinite Kitchen inside one of its Manhattan locations in 2026.

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Wonder to Buy ‘Infinite Kitchen’ Tech from Sweetgreen. What’s next? by Bernadette Heier | Nov 18, 2025 | News Sweetgreen has sold Spyce, the robotics and technology behind its Infinite Kitchen format, to Wonder, the multi-concept restaurant company founded by Marc Lore. The $186.4 million sale...

11/19/2025

Slider-centric QSR White Castle took another step forward in its tech stack journey last month with the unveiling of a new digital-driven prototype.

In mid-October, the 104-year-old concept announced the opening of its Castle of Tomorrow prototype. Located in its base city of Columbus, Ohio, the design was crafted to appeal to younger generations while implementing efficiencies via technology.

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White Castle Refreshes Century-Old Design With Modern Prototype by Matthew Liedke | Nov 7, 2025 | News Slider-centric QSR White Castle took another step forward in its tech stack journey last month with the unveiling of a new digital-driven prototype. In mid-October, the 104-year-old concept announc...

11/18/2025

How restaurants leverage data on guest behavior in their markets will help increase off-premises sales for their franchisees, said Abhinav Kapur, the co-founder and CEO of customer data platform Bikky.

He also warned that with overall customer sentiment down and sales for dine-in and many legacy quick-service restaurant brands falling in today’s inflationary environment, it is imperative brands use the data to double down on their loyalty programs—and they should not be afraid to give away food or merchandise to ensure continued growth.

Kapur was joined by Inspire Brands Chief Commercial and Restaurant Officer Dan Lynn and Dave’s Hot Chicken President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Bitticks on a panel, “Unlock Customer Insights with Data to Increase Off-Premises Sales and Profits,” at the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference in Las Vegas.

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With QSR Sales Down and Consumer Sentiment Falling, Brands Turn to Data for Answers by Joe Halpern | Nov 13, 2025 | News This article was originally published on Franchise Times, a sister publication to Food On Demand. How restaurants leverage data on guest behavior in their markets will help increa...

11/18/2025

Wingstop’s same-store sales fell 5.6 percent in the latest quarter, coming off a nearly 21 percent surge a year ago, but the brand is leaning on tech and digital engagement to turn the trend around.

During Tuesday’s earnings call, the company discussed its AI-powered Smart Kitchen platform, which CEO Michael Skipworth calls a “game changer.” Now installed in more than 2,000 U.S. restaurants and set to reach all domestic units by the end of the year, it uses demand forecasting and digital kitchen displays to streamline operations.

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Wingstop Bets on New Loyalty Program and Smart Kitchen to Boost Sales by Bernadette Heier | Nov 6, 2025 | News Wingstop’s same-store sales fell 5.6 percent in the latest quarter, coming off a nearly 21 percent surge a year ago, but the brand is leaning on tech and digital engagement to turn the tr...