Food on Demand

Hosts Tom Kaiser and Nicholas Upton present their inaugural episode of the Food on Demand Podcast. They provide insights on the latest trends in food delivery, including the emergence of mobile commercial kitchens. Jim Collins, CEO of Kitchen United, also joins the show to discuss his journey of innovation and how it has helped restaurant owners right-size their kitchen operations.

Hosts Tom Kaiser and Nick Upton take a look at some of the latest news in the food on demand industry. This episode includes a recent M&A transaction, a look at which delivery networks are thriving and which are dying, and how some state laws are effecting the industry overall. They also interview Alex Ware, President of Foodsby. He discusses the market that Foodsby is serving and where it is headed.

In Episode 3, hosts Tom and Nick discuss the latest in virtual and ghost kitchen operations, as well as regulation news likely to have an effect on the food service industry--specifically food delivery services like Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc. The featured guest is Nate Pollak, CEO of The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. They discuss a shared love for all things cheese, as well as the future of delivery for traditional sit-down restaurants.

In the fourth episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick discuss Deliveroo’s European ghost kitchen and virtual restaurant operations, Google’s latest moves in delivery, the opening of the first DoorDash Kitchens in California and Grubhub’s difficult third quarter that’s led many to question the delivery space’s long-term prospects. The featured guest is Noah Glass, CEO and founder of Olo, which is the largest restaurant delivery software player in the industry.

In episode five of the Food On Demand Podcast, Fred LeFranc of Results thru Strategy joins Nick and Tom for a discussion of the shifting delivery landscape, along with the coming rise of delivery aggregators like FoodBoss, ClusterTruck’s new partnership with Kroger and a landmark new federal certification for drone deliveries coming to a sky near you.

In episode six of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick interview ClusterTruck CEO Chris Baggott, which recently inked a deal with Kroger grocery stores. They also look at new delivery bots designed to operate in bike lanes, Google going deeper into delivery and the ongoing turmoil at Waitr.

Tom and Nick discuss Grubhub’s big move into delivery integration, as well as Instacart getting into the prepared meal game. Ordermark founder and CEO Alex Canter talk about big changes to the marketplace, as well as the operational cornerstones to succeed with his Grilled Cheese Heaven virtual restaurant. 

In the eighth episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Nick and Tom talk about possible M&A action on the delivery space, U.S. virtual kitchen investment reaching $600 and speak with Kelly Seeman, head of enterprise relations at Uber Eats.

In the latest episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Nick and Tom speak with Don Fox, the CEO of Firehouse Subs, and Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, about how they’re adapting their brands to weather the pandemic storm. They also discuss Panera getting into the grocery game, and the novel JoyRun delivery service accelerating its national rollout.

In the 10th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Nick and Tom speak with Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison about how his brand has bucked the trends by growing sales during the pandemic. They also dive into rumors that Uber might buy Grubhub, cities capping delivery fees, Drizly delivering weed and cracks spreading in the grocery supply chain. 

In the 11th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick speak with Meredith Sandland, the former COO of Kitchen United who’s writing a book called Delivering the Digital Restaurant, and Christine Barone, CEO of True Food Kitchen. They also dive into Waitr’s latest financial results, Uber buying Postmates, CloudKitchens’ new drive-thru facility in LA, and C3's upcoming mega food hall/ghost kitchen project on Manhattan’s west side.

In the 12th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick talk with Ilir Sela, the founder and CEO of Slice, an online marketplace exclusively for independent pizzerias that recently crossed $1 billion in transactions. They also cover drone deliveries of pad thai in the U.K., electric delivery vehicles on campuses and beyond, Inspire Brands investing in ItsaCheckmate and Amazon going deeper into grocery delivery.

In the 13th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick talk with Chris Monk, founder and CEO of Your Fare, an order integration and logistics company that recently acquired Pronto and Beyond4. They also cover DoorDash’s imminent IPO, Chipotle’s first digital-only kitchen, Ordermark raising $120 million and California voters approval of Proposition 22 that allows delivery drivers to remain independent contractors.

In the 14th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick talk with Geoff Alexander, president and CEO of Wow Bao and a managing partner at Lettuce Entertain You. They also cover the National Restaurant Association's new guidelines for delivery providers, an Ohio city hiring its own delivery drivers, and the rise of celebrity-backed virtual restaurants.  

In the 15th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick talk with Nabeel Alamgir, founder and CEO of Lunchbox. They also dive into the rise of software platforms specifically designed for virtual restaurants, DoorDash acquiring Chowbotics, and also how their own dining and delivery habits are permanently changed because of the pandemic.

In the 16th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick talk with Bobby Healy, founder of Manna, a drone delivery as a service provider, and Brody Sweeney, director, Camile Thai Kitchen, about their ongoing work delivering meals to customers in Ireland. They also cover Olo’s IPO, DoorDash suing Olo, Fuku’s rough delivery-only debut in Houston and the staying power of virtual restaurants as the pandemic slowly recedes.  

In the 17th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick talk with Rishi Nigam, co-founder and CEO of Franklin Junction, which pioneered the host kitchen model bringing outside brands into under-utilized kitchens.   They also cover Just Eat Takeaway finalizing its purchase of Grubhub, the rise of instant grocery delivery, Snackpass landing a big-dollar investment and delivery volumes remaining stable as we move into the peak of summer.

In the 18th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick talk with David Bloom, Chief Development and Operating Officer for Capriotti's and Wing Zone. They also cover DoorDash's new Full Service model that allows restaurants to outsource everything—even the cooking—at its ghost kitchens, WoodSpoon landing $14 million in funding, and the Food On Demand team's delivery price inflation test comparing the cost of delivery to dining in. 

In the 19th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick talk with Dirk Izzo, president and GM of NCR's hospitality division. They also cover Toast's IPO, Alphabet's Wing hitting the 100,000 drone delivery milestone, the rise of local delivery co-ops and the ongoing Proposition 22 debate about delivery drivers.

In the 20th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick give a brief preview of this year's Food On Demand Conference, and interview Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, authors of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant,” about delivery providers diversifying their offerings, the convergence of the grocery and restaurants, and how these changes will show themselves in the build form of suburbia.

In the 21st episode of the Food On Demand Podcast hosts Tom and Nick talk about the latest big DoorDash acquisition, ghost kitchen operational issues and Uber's new all-encompassing membership program.  They also interview Zhong Xu, founder of order integrator and delivery experience company Deliverect about the competitive restaurant technology space, where the market is going and novel delivery use cases from across Europe. 

In the 22nd episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick interview Buyk CEO James Walker about scaling the ultra-fast grocery category. They also dive into DoorDash providing financing for restaurants, White Castle bringing Flippy bots into its kitchens, Grubhub partnering with 7-Eleven on convenience and Coco expanding its robotic delivery service to Austin.

In the 23rd episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick interview Jason Chen, the CEO of JustKitchen, a Taiwanese ghost kitchen brand that's now expanding into North America. They also cover Starship raising $100 million, DoorDash buying Bbot, the possible implosion of Buyk and the impact of rising gas prices on delivery drivers.

In the 24th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick interview Kristen Barnett, founder and CEO of Hungry House, a ghost kitchen bringing a rotating roster of notable chefs to New York City diners. They also cover McDonald's hitting a huge digital sales milestone, a partnership accelerating the move to sustainable delivery packaging and the latest automation advancements from Miso Robotics.

In the 25th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick speak with Alex Vasilkin, co-founder and CEO of Cartwheel, which is a company helping restaurants manage their delivery fleets and set up hybrid or fully in-house delivery. They also cover a new product improving delivery and takeout food quality, Deliverect's virtual restaurant marketplace, Uber's nationwide shipping and Dexai kitchen AI.  

In the 26th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick interview Khanh Nguyen, founder and CEO of Zalat Pizza, a pizza concept that does all its delivery via third-party platforms. They also cover the Daily Harvest foodborne illness outbreak,  Kwali's kitchen computer vision, Wonder's eye-popping valuation and Just Eat Takeaway's stock dropping on Grubhub sale concerns. 

In the 27th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick interview Rob Carpenter, founder and CEO of Valyant AI, an AI platform for quick-serve restaurants. They also cover dynamic pricing coming into the restaurant space, Waitr officially rebranding to ASAP, DoorDash and Uber Eats starting nationwide shipping, and a new study showing drones emitting much less carbon during deliveries. 

In the 28th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick interview Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute. As a preview for the upcoming Food On Demand Off-Premises Packaging Summit, they cover new products hitting the market, the rising issue of so-called forever chemicals, and bringing beverages and desserts into the delivery ecosystem.

In the 29th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Jared interview Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant, about their next book coming soon. They also cover the Kroger-Albertsons mega merger and Reef hitting a municipal snag in Texas and Pennsylvania.

In the 30th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Bernadette interview Bikky co-founder and CEO Abhinav Kapur about the future of customer relationship management and loyalty in restaurants. They also cover MrBeast filing suit against Virtual Dining Concepts and Domino's signing with its first third-party delivery provider—Uber Eats.

In the 31st episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Bernadette interview Michael Boyan, director of digital operations at Shake Shack. They also cover Instacart's big IPO and Kitchen United CEO Michael Montagano departing for Dog Haus. 

In this episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, host Bernadette interviews Wow Bao CEO Geoff Alexander on redefining the restaurant experience through non-traditional locations, technology and gamification in the metaverse. Co-host Adam also joins to discuss the state of drone delivery and a delivery speed test on DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub.   

In this episode, we explore Cousins Maine Lobster—a leader in the food truck and brick-and-mortar space. Co-founder Sabin Lomac shares insights from their Shark Tank experience that helped launch the business. Discover what makes their mobile restaurant concept so successful, and tune in for invaluable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs!

In this episode, Gracie Prasanson, VP of Sales at Jason's Deli, discusses how the brand continues to excel in off-premises operations. She dives deep into catering, sharing best practices for this growing sector, and highlights how technology and a hybrid delivery fleet can help scale your on-demand business. 

Christine Schindler, CEO and Cofounder of PathSpot, discusses the complexity of food safety in today's omnichannel restaurant environment and how she created a tech solution for real-time monitoring to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.

Andrew dives into Papa John's hybrid delivery strategy, how the brand leverages technology to adapt to new generations in a competitive pizza market, and explores the future of pizza delivery innovations.  

Deborah Matteliano, Global Head of Amazon Web Services discusses how AI, predictive ordering, and chatbots are transforming the restaurant industry, plus dives into the future role of tech in hospitality. She also shares valuable, actionable leadership tips for women in tech, focusing on confidence, resilience, and empowering others.

In this episode, Anna explores the differences in restaurant marketing strategies for small, local businesses versus larger brands, focusing on community engagement and standing out in a competitive market. She also discusses how leveraging technology and customer data for personalization can foster stronger connections with customers.

Jenn Saunders-Haynes, Director of Global Catering at Subway explores how catering has shifted in recent years, with changing consumer demands for speed, quality, and accuracy. She shares how Subway adapts through tech and compelling food visuals, along with valuable advice for operators of any size. 

With no one-size-fits-all solution, managing a tech stack can be tricky—especially when handling multiple vendors while operators are already juggling so many hats.. In this episode, Maia dives deep into the everyday tech challenges restaurants face, from legacy POS system switches to simple Wi-Fi issues. She explains how Science On Call helps tackle these problems and shares strategies for restaurants.    

Join Fred LeFranc, CEO of Results Thru Strategy, as we explore the adoption of agentic and generative AI, the impact of robotics, and how restaurants are navigating the value wars. Plus, Fred gives us a look at what's driving success at brands like Chili's in today's competitive market. 

In this episode, Cynthia Hollen, CEO of Mavi.io, shares how in-car ordering is changing the game for consumers. We explore the growing demand for seamless ordering as people look for ways to streamline the process without reaching for their phones. Cynthia also discusses how tech can enhance promotions, upselling, and overall user experience. From the rise of pre-ordering after the pandemic to discovering best practices for the future, we dive into the ongoing evolution of the industry.

Jenifer Kern, CMO of Qu, joins us to unpack key insights from Qu's 2025 State of Digital Report. We dive into the major trends shaping the restaurant industry—from the shift from third-party to first-party ordering, to tech stack consolidation, AI adoption, the rise of kiosks and smart kitchens, and more. Plus, how success hinges on how effectively restaurants can unify and activate their data.

In this episode, industry veteran and current catering consultant Jim Rand shares lessons from building and scaling catering programs at brands like Panera Bread and PF Chang's. Jim walks us through how to build a robust catering program—from understanding production and technology integration to menu adaptation—and how operators can use tools and online ordering systems to streamline operations. He also dives into marketplace strategy, self-delivery vs. third-party fulfillment, and the key investments needed to stand out in a competitive landscape.

In this episode, we're bringing you insights straight from Vegas at the eighth annual Food On Demand Conference! Bernadette sits down with Allen Beck, Director of Off-Premise and Catering at Costa Vida, as he breaks down how the brand uses a holistic, fully burdened approach to grow its catering business profitably. Plus, hear how technology integration plays a critical role in operations—and why having a smart, future-ready tech stack matters more than ever.

In this episode, we sit down with Shawn P. Walchef, founder of Cali BBQ Media, right after a dynamic Next Gen Marketing panel at the Food On Demand Conference. Shawn shares his journey from running a San Diego barbecue restaurant to becoming a leading voice in restaurant storytelling through social media and podcasting. We dive into practical advice for operators hesitant about video content, the power of showing up online—even imperfectly—and how authentic storytelling can drive real business results. Whether you're a restaurateur, marketer, or just curious about building a brand with your phone, this conversation will leave you ready to hit record.