Food and Drink

Large-format catering orders may not grab the same headlines commanded by third-party delivery services at the moment, but it's a buzzing and important part of many restaurants' off-premise strategies.

Toast has seen tremendous growth over its five years of existence. We wouldn't be surprised if the next stop is an IPO. (And directing $1 billion toward R&D efforts is certainly not small potatoes.)

Fast casual concepts represent a large opportunity for restaurant groups that may be feeling a bit of pressure to keep sales momentum going after turning fortunes around.

Everyone in the restaurant industry wants a piece of that hotel money. But for the hotel brands, the bigger challenge is making sure that their dining concepts aren’t the same old, boring ones they’ve always had — and convincing both diners and chefs to buy in.

It's a great time to own a ghost kitchen startup.

So does everyone else in the hotel business these days. Hotel companies like Marriott certainly have the scale and financial backing to improve hotel dining, but do they have the passion or creativity to mimic the independent restaurants they're trying to imitate? And will diners be able to taste the difference?

Papa John's has its CMO. It will be interesting to see how the industry vet attempts to turn the company's fortunes around.

Third-party delivery platforms are a risky business for small restaurants, where commission fees are steep and the competition is overwhelming. While DoorDash's new initiative is a nice step for the 10 participating restaurants, many other independent restaurateurs feel gouged by its pricing structure.

Papa John's is fighting for cultural relevance, and it is doing so in every way imaginable. It's easily the greatest soap opera happening right now.

McDonald's was a turnaround story a few years ago. Now, it's solidly in growth mode, fueled by strategic investments and initiatives that bring technology to the forefront of its business.