Podcasts about Waitr

In the 1800’s Thomas Edison invented, among other things, the light bulb, the record player, and the first motion picture capture device which paved the way for the birth of movies. Was Thomas Edison a genius? In response to that question Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Meaning, you can have a great idea, but you also have to have the tenacity and work ethic to bring it to life. So, how do you do that? New Orleans’ two most recently successful companies, Lucid – which sold for over one billion dollars, and Levelset, which sold for 500 million - were both founded with assistance from business accelerator, The Idea Village. Today, a lot of entrepreneurs owe their foundational steps, and their growth, to business accelerators and incubators. Okay, but what if you have a great idea for a business, and you don’t get accepted to a business incubator? Or maybe you live in a place where there is no incubator, accelerator, or even anyone who can give you any business advice at all. Then what do you do? Then, you ask Solomon. Solomon is an AI-powered business accelerator. But the business guidance you’re going to get from it is not generic AI advice pulled off the internet. Solomon’s business advice is drawn from the experience of real humans, who Solomon refers to as “Luminaries.” One of these luminaries is Chris Meaux. Chris is the grandfather of Louisiana startups, the founder of the revolutionary food delivery app Waitr. At Waitr Chris came up with the technology that took food delivery beyond pizza and Chinese food to all restaurants, and paved the way for a generational change in dining in. Today, Chris is Co-Founder of a company called QiMana. It’s the company that created Solomon. Peter's other lunch guest, Chuck Perrett, had an architectural inspiration. Chuck is not an architect. He grew up in a family business that printed architectural blueprints. With the advent of the internet, architects started relying less on printed blueprints and instead started emailing contractors and sub-contractors. Now, if you’ve ever tried to organize anything more complex than dinner for two by email, you know what a cluster that can turn into. So, imagine how unwieldy an email chain gets when you’re trying to communicate about construction and design issues with contractors and sub-contractors. That’s why Chuck Perrett was inspired to create Centerline, a cloud-based data management for architects that pulls all of their project-related information out of their inbox and puts it into what’s called a Project Information Model. Chuck launched Centerline in 2021, began taking clients in 2022, saw 350% growth in 2023, and today the company has architectural firm clients across the country. There are only so many hours in a day. You can fill them doing any number of things. You can go to work, you can come home and relax, maybe go see a movie, watch TV, write poetry, play sports... Or you could invent an online business consultancy Or reinvent architectural communication. Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of Extra Serving, a Nation's Restaurant News podcast, NRN editors Holly Petre, Bret Thorn, and Joanna Fantozzi spoke about how restaurants are reacting to the introduction of AB 1228 in California.The bill, which went into effect on April 1, raised the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour. Several restaurant and franchise groups prepared for the raise by laying off workers — mostly delivery drivers — while others are responding now quietly. People have noticed that chains like Chipotle raised prices in California by over 5% without saying anything. How will customers and the industry react?Also, restaurant tech seems to be having a tough time. On Wednesday, delivery company Waitr filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after several years of bad decisions and a changing landscape. On the other side of tech, restaurants have been experiencing more and more outages, sometimes because of the myriad programs they use to get by. One of Fantozzi's predictions for 2024 was a consolidation of restaurant tech, and this week showed that that is happening, or needs to happen.Plus, NRN's senior food and beverage editor Thorn gave his thoughts on the new James Beard Awards nomination process.This week's guest is Ken Priest, CFO of Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken.

ASAP, the food delivery service formerly known as Waitr, has shut down after the company filed for Ch. 7 bankruptcy, according to an 8-K form filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 2.Waitr was founded in 2013 as a boutique delivery platform by students at McNeese University and then was officially launched in 2015 before spreading throughout Louisiana and into other regions. In 2018, the company was acquired by Landry's owner Tilman Fertitta's blank check company, Landcadia Holdings Inc., for $308 million.Since then, the company has experienced a series of financial ups and downs as the restaurant industry entered the golden era of food delivery and it was “sink or swim” in the increasingly crowded market. Waitr tried to differentiate itself from competitors like Grubhub and DoorDash by catering toward smaller, independent restaurants in mid-sized cities.

Chris Meaux is Chairman of the Board at Boom Nation Inc and Mallard Bay. He was also one of the Founders of the food delivery service app, Waitr. Chris was at the forefront of technology, starting out building computers to diving into his corporate career at Hyundai Electronics and then Macafee right after graduating from Louisiana State University. Later he went on to start and end multiple business ventures; finally getting his big break with the idea of Waitr, stemming from one of his previous businesses - Meaux 2 Geaux - and another idea from a college student at an entrepreneurial startup weekend in Florida. So many stories in this episode and we appreciate Chris for being honest when sharing his journey, not skipping over the failures along the way.Follow Us On Social!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNXTEntrepreneurInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenxtentrepreneurLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nxt-entrepreneurNXT #114 is Sponsored byCastro Real Estate Services: https://www.latter-blum.com/Turn Key Solutions: www.tks.la/NXTMBD Automation: https://www.mbdautomation.com/Pivotal, LLC: https://www.pivotalperforms.com/MFB Firm: https://mfbfirm.com/Season 3 of NXT is Proudly Presented by b1 BANKwww.b1bank.com/The NXT Entrepreneur is Produced by Propel Production Studiowww.propelyourstory.com/BioThe NXT Entrepreneur Podcast shares the stories of an entrepreneur's journey and the lessons learned from the successes as well as the failures. We want to share all of the stories from the rejections to the huge wins, the long hours, and the ultimate payoff. The journey is many times dramatic, sometimes unbelievable but always fascinating. It's all about the stories; pull up a chair and listen.

Birmingham, AL – ASAP, the food delivery app formerly known as Waitr, is looking to hire 200 new contract drivers in Birmingham to satisfy the continued demand for delivery from restaurant partners. ASAP made the announcement on the new jobs this morning. Tommy Angelle Field Operations Marketing Manager with ASAP joins JT to discuss the job openings and ASAP.

Watch the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exnMa2P9RxAI've been a full-time gig worker since 2018; so I've done pretty much every gig app available in my market. I rank them all from HALL OF FAME to straight up TRASH! How high (or low) did your favorite app rank on my list? Watch and find out.Apps included on this list (in alphabetical order):Amazon Flex, Cornershop, Curri, DeliverThat, Dispatch, DoorDash, Draiver, GoPuff, GrubHub, Instacart, Lyft, Point Pickup, Postmates, Roadie, Skipcart, Walmart Spark, Task Rabbit, Uber, Uber Eats, Veho, Waitr, BiteSquad, ASAP DeliveryKEY WORDSside hustle, self employed, self employment, work from home, gig economy, gig apps, gigtube, the gigtube podcast, best gig apps, highest paying gig apps, worst gig apps, uber vs lyft, rideshare vs food delivery, best and worst gig apps, ranking every gig app, ranking all gig apps, what are the best and worst gig apps, every gig app ranked, rating every gig app,Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-gigtube-podcast/donations

Louisiana is known as a "sportsmen's paradise" because of the abundant fish and game that make for good hunting and fishing. And that's created something of a culture – one, admittedly shared by many states in the south and the west—that loves to hunt and fish. All sports require organization. And specialty equipment. Football, for example, is arranged by leagues - from high school through the NFL - and requires pads and helmets. Tennis is typically centered on clubs, and requires balls and racquets. Hunting and fishing trips are most often arranged informally by friends, and require rifles, rods and reels. Stephanie's guests on Out to Lunch today are involved with updating the organization of hunting and fishing trips, and the sale of equipment required for hunting. Namely, firearms. Laurie Lipsey Aaronson is President and CEO of Lipsey's, the Baton Rouge-based company that has grown to become the largest firearms distributor to licensed firearms retailers in the country. Lipsey's was founded in the early 1950s as a wholesale hunting and fishing distributor named S&S Sporting Goods. Laurie's father, Richard Lipsey, changed the name when he and members of his family acquired the business in the 1970s and began to expand it. Today, Lipsey's leads the firearms industry in the collaboration and distribution of exclusive firearms. Lipsey's also sells silencers, short barrel rifles and accessories. Laurie - who by the way was one of our first ever guests on Out to Lunch Baton Rouge - grew up learning the business from her dad and became chairwoman and CEO in 1993. She also leads another family business, Haspel, which created the original seersucker suit in New Orleans in 1909 and now offers a vibrant collection of men's clothing and accessories that Laurie has helped expand and diversify.  Logan Meaux is founder and CEO of Mallard Bay, a platform for sportsmen looking to book hunting and fishing trips with reputable charters anywhere in the U.S. The platform is like an Airbnb for sportsmen seeking accommodations with real-time availability, secure payments, quality assurance, and help with arranging lodging and meals along with their guided hunts. Logan is a recent LSU graduate, who was inspired to create the platform after having a particularly difficult time booking a hunting trip for his dad's birthday. Logan got together with two friends, both then students at LSU, Joel Moreau and Wyatt Mallet, to create the company. They then put together a team of business and computer science students and alumni to help with development. They launched in early 2022. In the short time since then, Mallard Bay has won a pitch competition, attracted local and national publicity and have their platform up and running and attracting users nationwide. This is all pretty impressive for a first gig right out of college, but then Logan comes by it naturally. His dad is Chris Meaux, founder of Lousiana's extraordinarily successful startup, Waitr, currently known as ASAP. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Erik Otts at itsbatonrouge.la.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we talked about marketing to the Hispanic community with Ernesto Posadas, Strategic Partnership Manager at GrubHub. Ernesto joined GrubHub in 2022 after working as a National Account Executive at Waitr, Bite Squad, and Delivery Dudes, as well as a Sales Executive at Copa Airlines for 5 years. Learn more about the Online Optimism podcast at https://www.onlineoptimism.com/podcast/

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. 

Watch the video version of this show here: https://youtu.be/ysCz7lcEXekFeaturing  @Driven Wyld  0:00 INTRO10:37 'No Longer Sure Bets': Tech Giants Are Dropping Bad News Dailyhttps://goo.gl/alerts/SzGoC19:23 Grubhub Co-Founder Reportedly Wanted to Buy It Backhttps://goo.gl/alerts/cXnxM24:24 Waitr Holdings Director Jonathan Green Sells 101687 Shareshttps://goo.gl/alerts/rEbpW31:00 Today's unexpected Supreme Court victory could exempt more gig workers from forced arbitrationhttps://goo.gl/alerts/wGp8N37:02 AD FOR MAXYMOhttps://bit.ly/maxymo39:50 Austin riders forget more stuff in Ubers than people in any other cityhttps://goo.gl/alerts/Uf2pM46:11 Survey: Delivery Drivers Admit They're Judging Youhttps://goo.gl/alerts/Yk9hR53:58 DoorDashers fight after one cuts line for food orders https://www.dailydot.com/irl/doordashers-fight/56:50 Is It Normal For A Driver To Hold My Order Hostage For A Bigger Tip? https://www.reddit.com/r/doordash/comments/v1capz/is_it_normal_for_a_driver_to_hold_my_order/1:06:53 OUTRO

This week's special guest co-host:  @Driven Wyld  0:00 INTRO5:00 Uber, DoorDash, Lyft lose combined $9 billion in market cap amid selloffhttps://goo.gl/alerts/PV4p810:36 Uber CEO tells staff company will cut down on costs, treat hiring as a 'privilege'https://goo.gl/alerts/WZJYz18:54 Uber driver speaks out about being shot near Volkswagen planthttps://youtu.be/aZ8ndswzQ1s25:44 Waitr posts $77M loss in first quarter of 2022 due to $67M 'goodwill impairment' tied to stock pricehttps://goo.gl/alerts/Pcv7m30:16 AD FOR DRIVERS UTILITY HELPERhttps://bit.ly/duhgigtube30:58 How Delivery Workers Are Organizing for Better Employee Protectionshttps://goo.gl/alerts/JLLrf40:30 3 ways grocers are elevating online order picking in their storeshttps://goo.gl/alerts/mb36E49:11 An original Uber, Lyft competitor still trying to build a new rideshare model https://cnb.cx/3FjK98W54:36 AD FOR MAXYMOhttps://bit.ly/maxymo57:00 Uber driver helps woman robbed at Coachellahttps://goo.gl/alerts/3KHvH1:04:36 Apple plans more Fitness+ workouts and Instacart-style service alongside payment featureshttps://goo.gl/alerts/BLX4k1:07:01 Paris Hilton is starring in a brand new Uber Eats ad with the Irwin family at Australia Zoo and it's pretty nuts.https://happymag.tv/paris-hilton-joins-the-irwin-family1:09:08 Papa John's worker chronicles the wait for $70 order with no tip to be picked up, sparking debatehttps://www.dailydot.com/irl/papa-johns-doordash-wait/1:14:37 OUTRO

This episode (S6:E72) we tell you about Freddy's Frozen Custard on Waitr App. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lunchwithdoug/message

This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a production of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Sam Oches and Lisa Jennings discussed Panera Bread’s entrance into the chicken sandwich wars with its own healthier option. The fast-casual chain announced the new menu item earlier this week with a healthier spin: The chicken isn’t fried like the rest of its chicken sandwich war competitors. Is it too late to join the chicken sandwich was? Is it time to retire the name? The editors discuss. Next, the team discussed third-party delivery company Waitr’s new policy of passing out gas cards to employees to help offset the price of gas for its drivers. The team speaks about the logistics of being a delivery driver and how this move can or will impact restaurants who may be experiencing slower-than-usual traffic due to rising gas prices. Then, the team discussed how Grubhub is being sued by the city of Washington D.C., following in the footsteps of many other cities, for false advertising and excessive fees tied to the pandemic. Plus, chef Spike Mendelsohn talks with Jennings about Chfty Pizza, his new NFT collaboration with Tom Colicchio on Discord that’s functioning as a membership to a community of chefs and foodies alike with an online presence and in real life events.

This episode (S6:E39) we visit with Sarah Selvidge from Waitr App all about this food delivery service. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lunchwithdoug/message

In the early 20th Century, an entrepreneur by the name of Martha Matilda Harper had a hairdressing salon where she taught women her method of cutting hair and sold hair care products she made herself. The salon did so well she got other women to open another location where they replicated her first salon. That was so successful she did it a third time, and after a few years Martha had started up 500 salons that were using her methods and selling her hair products. In the process she invented the concept of franchising. Today you can buy into any number of franchises. Most notable are household names like McDonalds, Ace Hardware, and ReMax. But there are thousands of others, including a franchise called Tap Truck. Booze Tap Trucks are kind of like food trucks, except they're set up like a bar, and sell drinks. Unlike food trucks, Tap Trucks aren't big boxes on wheels. Each Tap truck is a totally renovated, tricked-out, vintage truck. The two Tap Trucks in New Orleans are a 1951 GMC Panel Truck, and a 1951 Chevy. The local trucks are affiliated with the restaurant, Central City Bar B Q. And the New Orleans operator of Tap Truck is Lenaye Doussan. Veggies It's funny how things go in cycles. When industrialization came to the US and people moved away from the countryside, they found themselves living on pieces of land that were too small for a cow or a garden. So nearby farmers delivered them milk and vegetables. Then, when there was a big enough concentration of people living in suburbs and zooming around in cars, nobody wanted to be old-fashioned and have food delivered from a farm. Not when you could drive your station-wagon to a supermarket. Today we've come full circle. We want everything delivered. And local, organic, “farm to table” is the ideal. A company called Top Box Foods is making that ideal a reality in New Orleans. Connor Deloach is co-founder and Executive Director of Top Box Foods. Delivery Delivery just makes sense. Economically and environmentally. On any given day, instead of 500 of us getting into 500 cars and going out for groceries, a handful of vehicles can deliver that same amount of food to all of those people. And they can deliver food to people who don't have transportation. Or who live in neighborhoods that don't have easy access to fresh or locally-sourced produce and groceries. Although drinking alcohol might not be as essential as eating fruit and vegetables, we've come to learn that in our stress-filled lives, entertainment and enjoyment are indeed a vital part of our existence. So, whether we're talking about Top Box Foods delivering fresh produce and local groceries, or Tap Truck delivering drinks and a good time, delivery just makes sense. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at NOLA Pizza in the NOLA Brewing Taproom. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at our website itsneworleans.com. And that's where you can also find more lunchtime conversation about delivery with the founder of Waitr. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode (S6:E26) we talk about many events in February and all about the Waitr app food delivery service! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lunchwithdoug/message

Hey this episode (S6:E25) is a special Saturday anounement about Sonic of Nevada, Missouri NOW on WAITR app. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lunchwithdoug/message

This episode we are joined with Trevor to talk all about the WAITR food delivery app. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lunchwithdoug/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lunchwithdoug/support

The beans are back and boy they're good (Shoutout to Waitr & Hannah Q) Tune in as we breakdown this week's food news, our positive + negative traits as a Virgo and a Libra, let you in on a little Apple Watch workout hack when you need to flex on the haters in your Instagram or Snapchat stories, AND plan our STRB launch party. This episode is also a PSA that Chick-fil-A has superior, premium service... but we bet you already knew that.

 Mark talks about founding, failing, funding and exiting companies with the amazing Sacramento entrepreneur, Sonny Mayugba, whose new adventure as VP of Growth at Swimply has him on the company building journey once again. Swimply is the world's first marketplace for homeowners to rent out their underutilized pools to local swimmers. Prior to Swimply, Sonny spent a year in venture capital, first as a Managing Director at Jason Calacanis' LAUNCH and next as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Spero Ventures. A serial entrepreneur, Sonny first got hooked on startups by launching Heckler, a print/digital magazine that he scaled and sold to Times Mirror when he was 25. After that, Sonny went on to start multiple companies, among them Requested, a mobile app for restaurants & bars. Requested eventually merged with restaurant delivery app Waitr, where Sonny was the founding CMO. In charge of customer acquisition, brand identity, and revenue stewardship, Sonny helped grow Waitr Holdings to $800M annual revenue, expanded into 700 cities, and rang the Nasdaq Opening Bell when the company went public as Waitr Holdings (Nasdaq:WTRH) in 2018. If you would like to learn more about Simply or Sonny please check out the links below: https://swimply.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnymayugba If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region. - Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​... - Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz - Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​ Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​ Website: http://haneybiz.com​ Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​ Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney - This video includes the personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement. 

Thoughts on Chuck E. Cheese, Waitr (WTRH) and the NFL goes to 17 Games.

Waitr Aktie: Essen per App! Übernahmeziel für Delivery Hero, Uber etc. + günstigste Aktie im Sektor! Diese Podcast Folge basiert auf einem Video, was man auf meinem Kanal https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSB5rz-gB6JeaULNV1xV6Ng/join findet. Meine Grundlagen zum Investieren und Leben erkläre ich auch in diesem Buch: https://amzn.to/3bNpr4v Wenn du so investieren möchtest, wie ich, dann kann ich dir auch einen Blick auf meine Wikifolios ans Herz legen: https://www.wikifolio.com/de/de/p/investresearch Zum Kaufen brauchst du nur einen Onlinebroker wie diesen: http://smartbroker.investresearch.net

People come to Louisiana looking for everything from Alligators to Zydeco. The two things they are usually not looking for are high tech superstars and women duck hunters. That's exactly who Peter's guests on Out to Lunch are looking for. Bill Ellison and his venture capital organization Innovation Catalyst invest in new high-tech companies. Some of them turn out to be big deals, like Waitr, which recently sold for $308m. Emily Degan's company, Saint Hugh, makes outdoor apparel, focused on functional and fashionable clothes for women who like to hunt ducks. In business, New Orleans and Louisiana are both undeniably changing. Ideas and companies that would have been completely foreign to us and unfundable a few years ago, are taking root and flourishing. It no longer seems unreasonable or unlikely to wonder if Saint Hugh could become the next Lulu Lemon or if Innovation Catalyst could finance the next Facebook. Photos at Commander's Palace by Jill Lafleur are at our website. Here's more conversation about local innovation with the CEO of New Orleans Idea Village and superstar alums. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's not surprising that the advent of a rampant, contagious, deadly virus is changing the way we live. What perhaps is surprising, is the speed with which we've adapted to our new way of life. And the way we've put technology to work for us. One of the most surprising of these changes has been the almost overnight embrace of telemedicine. If you haven't already experienced it, telemedicine is where you have a virtual visit with your doctor. You're at home, your doctor is at the clinic, and you're having a video conference, on an app on your phone. Telemedicine has been around for a while, but the Covid 19 pandemic has seen it ramp way up. For example, on Ochsner Health System's telemedicine app, on March 2nd they had 39 visits. A month later, on April 2nd, they had 2,700. The System Chair of Telemedicine and Digital Health at Ochsner Health System is Dr David Houghton. The other major technological adoption during the Covid era has been our newfound love of delivery. Before Covid, you might not have gotten food delivered from a restaurant. But there's a good chance you do now. If you own a restaurant, and you always thought delivery was just for second-rate fast food, well, there's a good chance you don't think that way anymore. Delivery has been a lifesaver for restaurants during the pandemic. From the first days when they had to close completely, through the 25% and 50% occupancy restrictions, delivery has been another revenue stream for everybody, including the most unlikely, like Dickie Brennan's and Sylvain in the French Quarter. These kinds of restaurants don't want to mess with Uber Eats, or even Waitr. Instead a lot of local restaurants – over 250 – prefer a specialized local delivery service, called d'Livery NOLA.  The owner of d'Livery NOLA is Drew Herrington. Photos from this show by Jill Lafleur are at our website. Here's some more conversation about food delivery and telemedicine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30. On this episode of the 5 Core Life, Will Moore is interviewed on School For Startups Radio Show by Jim Beach. More About School For Startups Radio: On 25 AM/FM stations around the US, this show argues that anyone can be a successful entrepreneur when they embrace creativity, risk, and passion! Join host Jim Beach, bestselling McGraw-Hill Author for his SBA award winning nationally syndicated radio show. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-for-startups-radio/id1199193917 More About Will Moore: Will Moore is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of several startups, including the first restaurant delivery service. In 2001, while attending college, Will co-founded Rollins Rental after recognizing a major need for quality off-campus housing geared toward students, as well as family-friendly spaces. Next, he launched Doorstep Delivery in February 2008. After growing Doorstep Delivery to 19 branches, he sold the business in 2017 to Bite Squad, which later got acquired by Waitr for a combined 9-figure sum of $323m. During this business journey, Will gained an incredible amount of insight on what it takes to scale a startup, make a successful exit, and capitalize on trends before they happen. Like the serial entrepreneur he is, he has already hit the ground running with his latest venture, Moore Momentum, a self-improvement movement helping people become the best versions of themselves and ultimately, leave the world better than they found it. Will also hosts a podcast, 5 Core Life, where listeners can hear from top entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and regular folks on 5 Core areas of life that determine our happiness. MORE ABOUT 5 CORE LIFE: The show consists of interviews and discussions with top entrepreneurs, top leaders in their field, and regular folks on what it means to live a #5CoreLIfe. Click the link to learn more about The 5 Core Life Podcast: www.mooremomentum.com/5-core-life-podcast WHAT'S YOUR CORE SCORE? Take the FREE Life Evaluator Quiz to see where you currently stand in your five cores: www.mooremomentum.com/free-li... Like Subscribe! FIND ME ON FACEBOOK, IG or TWITTER: @mooremomentum JOIN MY GROUP To CREATE A MILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS ⬇️ www.facebook.com/groups/buildamilliondollarbiz/ SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY BLOG AS WELL! www.mooremomentum.com/blog This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/5corelife/message --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/5corelife/message

HMS Host lays off thousands, Waitr is thinking consolidation, and breakfast continues to boom for First Watch.

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.

Handmade tortillas, slow smoked brisket, fresh margaritas (no mix, made with love)—this and more can be found at JoVi’s Tacos (13214 Coursey Blvd, Suite A, Baton Rouge.) Can you imagine what it would be like to open your restaurant on February 1st… and a few weeks later find yourself in a global pandemic? Jorge and Virginia Flores tell their story of fast adaptation and amazing community support on this episode of Red Stick Strong. The patio is open! The tacos are ready! The margaritas are poured! All JoVi’s needs is YOU. JOVI’S IS READY TO TAKE YOUR ORDER: JoVi’s menu is on their website: https://jovistacos.com/#menu Delivery options: Waitr or DoorDash Call ahead to JoVi’s: (225) 427-0800 See the JoVi’s patio for yourself: 13214 Coursey Blvd, Suite A, Baton Rouge SHOW SOME LOVE TO JOVI’S ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jovistacosbr/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jovistacos/ Red Stick Strong is a podcast highlighting Baton Rouge business and organizations serving during the pandemic. Hosted by Catherine O'Brien and produced by Branch Out Programs. Follow Red Stick Strong on Instagram. Do you know a BR business that needs a shout-out? Tell Catherine! 

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.

Advocate To Host Acadiana Economic Outlook Summit on January 15, 2020 Adam Daigle, Business Editor of the Acadiana Advocate, joined the newspaper in August 2018 as the organization ramped up its daily business coverage online and in print. Its daily email business newsletter has consistently continued to add online subscribers as it feeds the need for local, up-to-date business news. On this Discover Lafayette podcast, Adam Daigle joined Jan Swift to discuss 2019 business news, the Advocate's upcoming January 15, 2020, Economic Outlook Summit to be held at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, and his love for Louisiana and why he moved back when the opportunity to work with The Advocate allowed him to be closer to family. The Advocate is Louisiana's largest newspaper and has experienced tremendous growth as it recently acquired the Times-Picayune in New Orleans and brought on extensive talent from other local newspapers. Adam shared that he feels The Advocate has "assembled an all-star team" that delivers the "best of the best" in news coverage. A 1995 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University in Journalism and a native of Gonzales, Adam previously worked for the Tulsa World in Oklahoma for 12 years before returning to his home state of Louisiana. Adam served as a sports editor and later executive editor of The Lion's Roar, Southeastern's student newspaper. He and his wife, Shelly, have four children and are members of Asbury United Methodist Church in Lafayette. 2019 was a time of economic resurgence in Lafayette Parish, as retail sales continued to climb at a pace that may equal the all-time high previously reached in 2014 experienced prior to the oil and gas downturn which severely dampened the local economy. The Lafayette Regional Airport has counted a record number of travelers, also rivaling 2014 prior to the downturn. Real estate sales overall in Acadiana are breaking records, with St. Landry and Iberia Parishes doing exceptionally well. Job growth is steady, with a 4.3% unemployment rate, a sign that Lafayette's economy has recovered and stabilized. The biggest news of 2019 has no doubt been that of Chris Meaux's startup restaurant delivery service, Waitr, which has experienced extreme highs and lows since it went public early in its development, then acquired Bite Squad out of Minneapolis which brought on extreme debt and a consequent dramatic fall in its stock price. 2019's biggest business news story involved Waitr's dramatic fall in value as it acquired Bite Squad, had massive layoffs, and changed fee structures imposed upon its restaurant partners. Other compelling 2019 business news came late in the year and involved mergers of two solid companies based in Lafayette: (1) Lafayette General Health's merger with Oschner Health System; and (2) IBERIABANK's planned merger with First Horizon out of Memphis, TN which will enable more investment in advanced technologies and innovate practices. Both deals involve mergers of equals, which are anticipated to allow strong business growth locally in the Lafayette market and beyond. Lafayette General Health System set to merge with Oschner Health System. Photo by Leslie Westbrook.IBERIABANK's planned merger with First Horizon of Memphis. Photo by Scott Clause. Health and Information Technology job markets are hot in Acadiana, especially in Lafayette Parish, and attract young, educated workers needed to combat the out-migration of Louisiana's talent. While Adam Daigle recently wrote a series of articles on the out-migration of our under 34-year old educated populace, the majority of Louisiana towns that are losing talent are situated in North Louisiana and rural areas of the state. Adam lamented that some small towns' only source of revenue was their water department and cited examples such as Bogalusa and Clarence who may be going bankrupt due to the loss of the young people and businesses who are leaving for bigger cities and opportuni...

We're kicking off episode one of the DocSpace SUS podcast with Evan Diaz de Arce, co-founder and financial officer at Waitr, a food delivery application that IPO’d in 2018. Evan helps us review how to set up a medical practice pro forma, discuss the different types of business plans, and teaches us how to create the best subscription or pricing model for your medical practice.

I had the great pleasure of being in the Superdome for the Saints game yesterday for their game against San Francisco for the top of the NFC. I was surprised to see that the Fan Impact Play was sponsored by Waitr, a food delivery service that went public at the end of 2018 and less than a year later is about to have its stock delisted for trading below $1 per share (they've lost almost $900M in value). So, for investors, football isn't the only thing providing high blood pressure in the Superdome. I can't imagine how upset their shareholders must be to sit in that dome and watch that logo go up on the big screen as their stock goes down. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: Expect an ROI When You Invest in Your Brand3 Steps to Build Your Big Bold BrandWhen Going Negative Goes WrongUniversity asks Louisiana high school to stop using logoDon't Play Chicken With Your Brand And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

It’s officially been 50 episodes of Do What You Want Radio! In this episode, I wrap up Season 1 by having my friend Eric Garcia of Geauxgarcia Photography on the pod again for a little motivation. We chat about personal and business growth/failures in 2019 as well as the last decade, and look forward to what’s in store for the future. See you in 2020!Visit www.geauxgarcia.com and @geauxgarcia for more of EricVisit www.jordanhefler.com and @jordanhefler for more of JordanNeed food delivered? Download the Waitr app by using this link and new customers will get a FREE food delivery with code DOWHATYOUWANT at checkout from now until the end of 2019!Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and REVIEW on iTunes! FOLLOW on Spotify!SHOW NOTES HERESupport the show (http://www.jordanhefler.com/podcast)

On this episode, a Waitr employee tries to size The Mullet up, we look at the great American heroes that protested at the Harvard vs Yale game, Jussie Smollet tries to sue the city of Chicago, the phrase, "Hey you guys!" is now sexist, the robots are taking over, and much more! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today's podcast guest is Dr. Ivan Rankenburg, Senior Director of Analytics at Waitr. In this episode, we discuss how to implement customer facing ML in a range of ways, from gaming to finance. Ivan has a BS in Math and Physics from UC Davis and a PhD in physics from Cornell. Prior to Waitr, he was the Director of Data Science at High 5 games, a VP at Bank of America, and a Senior Quantitative Strategist at Princeton Consultants.

In this episode, Jordan talks with makeup artist and digital creator Marissa Mizell about makeup, producing authentic video content for your audience, and enforcing boundaries with your clients.Keep up with Marissa at @marissamizell and @marissamizellartistry and on YouTubeKeep up with Jordan at @jordanhefler and jordanhefler.comSHOW NOTES HERE!Download the Waitr app by clicking this link and use code DOWHATYOUWANT for a free delivery! Offer expires at the end of 2019.Support the show (http://www.jordanhefler.com/podcast)

In the eight months she has been on the job since beginning in October 2018, Anita Begnaud has proven herself to be an inspirational catalyst for getting things done. As CEO of Downtown Development Authority, her role is to facilitate the development of downtown Lafayette by attracting new amenities, buildings, developments, jobs, and residents. Anita's high energy, ability to connect with people and attention to detail have proven to be a winning combination as downtown is poised for explosive growth in the coming years. Her work experience includes stints at Lafayette Economic Development Authority, Acadiana Economic Development, IBERIABANK, and One Acadiana, all of which taught her how to navigate governmental relations, social media marketing, and economic development issues. The Authority is funded with property tax millages assessed on commercial buildings within the district, with a budget of approximately $450,000 per year. While DDA doesn’t have the means to buy buildings or build infrastructure, its work encompasses all the intangible efforts to spearhead Lafayette’s downtown revitalization and continued growth. DDA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with attorney Miles Matt serving as President, attorney Lisa Thomas serving as Secretary, along with board members Mike Delcambre, Ross Fontenot, Jim Keaty, Gus Rezende, and Greg Walls. Recent announcements of companies adding staff to downtown Lafayette such as Waitr (200 jobs), the Opportunity Machine (80 plus emerging companies), and other established companies such as Perficient, have proven that the urban core of Lafayette is a desirable location for a variety of businesses. It is also the hub of Lafayette's legal community with the state and federal courthouses and law firms populating the area. DDA's focus over the next couple of years will be attracting "jobs and rooftops," as people increasingly want to be able to live close to where they work. Rather than commuting into work and leaving at 5 p.m., there is a pressing demand for residences to accommodate the growing number of diverse jobs populating the downtown area. This translates into a growing need for more retail, grocery stores, and of course, adequate parking. Throughout the interview, Anita referenced two documents that provide guidelines for growth and building downtown. The Downtown Lafayette Action Plan sets forth a comprehensive vision for how downtown can be enhanced to provide the option of high-quality city living and thus leveraged as a benefit for the entire region. The plan sets forth specific recommendations, based upon community input, to improve public spaces and parking, analyzing returns on infrastructure investment to ensure the highest transactional benefit to the entire community, enabling a transit loop to UL-Lafayette and back, and many more initiatives. The second document, the Downtown Lafayette Code interfaces with the Unified Development Code and directly governs building restrictions. The DDA hosts a monthly Lunch and Learn series which educates on issues facing downtown. The next luncheon will be held on July 24, 2019, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and focuses on "Accessibility" as many downtown sidewalks are not accessible to the disabled. Tickets may be obtained here. The August luncheon will focus on "Safety" and the enhanced security measures being undertaken such as an increase in the number of police officers patrolling the area. Facade Improvement Grants have helped small businesses in the downtown district to improve storefronts. An example is Rukus Board Shop which received funding assistance to install an awning and create new signage. These types of grants are utilized by business districts throughout the U. S. and are proven to help small business owners stay in business as they are enabled to improve their storefront. When asked what Anita's dream is for downtown, she spoke about the need for a 100 room hotel that could acc...

Our May StartupSac Happy Hour featured Sacramento serial entrepreneur, Sonny Mayugba. In addition to his current role as Chief Marketing Officer of Waitr, Sonny is the founder of several local restaurants and has a long history in the local startup community having launched several ventures over the years. In this podcast episode, Sonny shares his […]

For most of recorded history, we humans have had a home from which we have gone forth to find food. Now, things have changed. Today, thanks to food delivery apps like Waitr, we can stay home and have food brought to us. In the course of human activity, it's a fundamental shift. Maybe that's why Waitr has caused such a sensation. Starting life in Lake Charles in 2015, Waitr is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with projected revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Chris Meaux founded Waitr in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and launched the Waitr app in 2015. Today, Chris is the Chairman and CEO of Waitr, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has a capital valuation of hundreds of millions of dollars, and is talked about in some circles as following in the footprints of WalMart. David Mesa is Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at a company called Ballard Brands. Maybe you've never heard of Ballard Brands, but you've no doubt heard of their outlets - over 100 PJ's Coffee shops, over 60 locations of Wow Caf?, the Original City Diner, Boardhouse Serious Sandwiches, and over 250 retail outlets and 750 locations where you can buy products from New Orleans Roast, a wholesale coffee and tea company. You can add to that the recently acquired 13 restaurant chain called The Garces Group that moves Ballard Brands into fine dining. Photos over lunch at Commander's Palace by Jill Lafleur. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1994, a guy called Jeff Bezos was working in banking when he decided to start up his own business, selling books online. Most people thought that was a stupid idea, for two reasons. One, nobody would want to give a total stranger their credit card number. And, two, if you wanted to buy a book, why wouldn't you just go down to the bookstore? In the face of withering criticism, and years of phenomenal financial losses, Bezos persisted with his online shopping idea. Today his company, Amazon, drives global commerce. And Jeff Bezos is one of the wealthiest people in the world. Following in Bezos' logic-defying footsteps, other entrepreneurs were emboldened to launch startups based on what seemed like crazy ideas. Ideas that turned into like Facebook, Uber, Tinder, Tesla, and thousands of others - some successful, some not. Local business person Laurel Hess has a startup business, called Hampr. That spelling might remind you of another local startup with a missing vowel, Waitr. The similarity is not insignificant. You can think of Hampr as the Waitr of laundry. Hampr is an app that will have someone show up at your house, pick up your dirty laundry, take it back to their house, and deliver back to you, clean. Is this a crazy idea that's going to crash and burn? Or is it the next big thing that will make Laurel Hess a billionaire? Traci Pecot had a crazy idea too. She made a connection between lonely pets and lonely people. Specifically, pets whose owners need someone to look after them while the owners are away from home, and elderly people who are still active but forced to spend long hours alone. In May 2017, Traci launched her elder-people pet care business under the name, Paws and Paw Paws. Today, business is booming and - like Amazon's progression from selling books to selling everything - the affectionate Paw Paws are a part of an expanding doggie pet care service that includes boarding and grooming. Photos over lunch at Cafe vermilionville by Lucius Fontenot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stafford Wood is one of the most talented women in Baton Rouge, and the founder and owner of Covalent Logic, a full service integrated communications firm that specializes in branding, corporate communications, graphic design, web design, public relations and crisis communications. Covalent s clients, past and present, include hospitals, banks, state agencies, churches and nonprofit organizations. Stafford founded the firm in 2005, after spending a decade in the private sector, first with The Advocate, where she helped that paper with its first iteration of a digital product, and then with Eatel. Since founding Covalent, Stafford has become a go to person for the local business community, particulary when there is a need for someone who understands the intersection between the worlds of digital and tech, and marketing and communications. Chris Dykes is just the kind of young entrepreneur Covalent Logic might be able to help. Chris is the creator of an app called Idle that promises to bring as much change to the market as have Uber, Waitr and Airbnb. The Idle app connects users to an online renting community of underused, or idle, goods. For example, a pressure washer or a crawfish boil set up that you only use a couple of times a year, you could monetize by renting it out to others. Idle has been around since mid 2017 and is available on Apple or Android. It s poised to take off beyond the Baton Rouge area, where it s proving itself. Photos over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you live in Lafayette, or you spend any time in Lafayette, you ve almost certainly been to the Saturday morning Farmer s Market. There are a few staples there people and products you know are going to be there every week. Among them is Abby Perkins. I can almost guarantee you re thinking, "Abby Perkins.... No, don t know who that is." Well, how about if I said, "The Popcorn Girl." The Popcorn Girl at the Lafayette Farmer s Market is the owner of Cajun Cane Kettle Corn, Abby Perkins. Abby sells 50 pounds of popcorn every week. Along with it, she goes through 50 pounds of lemons, making fresh squeezed lemonade. Because this is Acadiana, nobody is surprised to find out people have another string to their bow. When she s not the Popcorn Girl, Abby is an integral part of the team that s building Waitr. Waitr is currently the most visible success story in Acadiana technology. But there are a number of other companies that form the backbone of the robust tech world that Waitr has grown out of. One of those companies is Accolades IT. If you have a business today, even if you re not in e commerce directly, your online presence is more than just window dressing. It s the way almost every person who is in any way connected to your business interacts with you. It s widely reported that well over 80 of real world business interactions begin with a web search. And the number is probably higher than that. The way customers, or potential customers, interact with you on their phone and tablet demands a radically different approach to your web presence than it did, even in 2007 when Accolades IT was launched. The self described Head Honcho over at Accolades IT is Scott Huber. Back in the old days, when sitting in front of a screen meant going to the movies, one of the comforting real world connections that we held onto while our minds were led into a scary or wondrous world beyond, was popcorn. Today, Abby s popcorn is a different kind of comfort food, and Scott s adventures into the screen beyond our real world are scarier and more wondrous than any movie could have imagined. Photos over lunch at Cafe Vermilionville by Lucius Fontenot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The disruption economy" refers to the fact that technology is changing the traditional constructs of our capitalist economy. Amazon is one of the most obvious examples. Uber is another. Closer to home, local companies are part of that disruption economy, changing the rules of the game for everyone. Chris Meaux is founder and CEO of Waitr, the phenomenally successful tech start up that is revolutionizing the restaurant and food service industries with its trademark food delivery app. Chris founded the company in 2015 from his home town of Lake Charles and the company took off on a growth trajectory that cutlimated in May of 2018, with Texas billionaire Tillman Fertitta Houston Rockets, Landry s Seafood restaurants, Golden Nugget Casino buying into the company for 308 million, including 50 million in cash. The deal will take Waitr public and give it enough capital to continue its rapid expansion around the country. Josh Cauley is President and founder of Performance Mods, an e commerce start up that ships auto parts to customers in a fraction of the time it would normally take. Josh started the company in 2016, when he was still a student at LSU. In the two years since, it has disrupted and revolutionized the auto parts industry, getting products directly from suppliers to customers within one to three days of an order being placed online, a fraction of the weeks or months it typically takes in the auto parts industry. Photos over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back at the turn of the century, in 2000, writer Malcolm Gladwell came up with the concept of what he called "connectors." A connector, Gladwell said, is a person who knows a lot of other people. This connector is the center of a network of friends. These connectors and their networks are how fads and fashions spread. 2000 was 7 years before the invention of the iPhone. Today, Gladwell s connectors are not just a sociological observation. They re a revenue producing industry. On social media, they re called Influencers. One of the United States best known Influencers is Kim Kardashian. Ms Kardashian has around 90 million followers on Instagram, and 50 million on Twitter. For a reported 300,000 she ll mention you or your product, one time, in one social media post. Here in Acadiana, you might not think we have influencers with that kind of clout. But, actually, we do. If you spend any time at all online and you want to know what s going on in Lafayette, you know about Developing Lafayette. Developing Lafayette has around 13,000 followers on Instagram. And 40,000 on Facebook. If you adjust those numbers for the size of the Acadiana population, Developing Lafayette has a reach that rivals Kim Kardashian. Developing Lafayette is the creation of Ben Powers. Jolie Meaux is a hybrid somewhere between an online influencer and a real world connector. In the real world, Jolie caters private dinner parties and does pop up food events around Acadiana. You might have seen her on TV, cooking with Anthony Bourdain. Online, Jolie has a web presence on social media and on her own blog and website, where she s known as Porch, Wine, and Gravy. Recently, we ve started to learn that some of our local leaders in technology may become as legendary as our towering figures in music and food. The same recognition and success that we ve seen happen to Waitr could equally happen to an online concept like Developing Lafayette. And, equally, a cultural centric online vehicle that exports Cajun culture authentically, like Porch, Wine, and Gravy, could break through and become a sensation. Photos at Cafe vermilionville by Lucius Fontenot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest is Zach McMath, President of the Acadiana Food Hub and a native of Lafayette with a family history involved in the distribution of food. With a granddad who was a Tom's Peanut salesman back in 1952, and parents who started M & M Sales in 1972, Zach has a clear understanding on how to move food from Point A to Point B. He's also a ball of fire who is passionate in his zeal to help our community grow our unique food culture. Zach is a man with a mission: a mission to create affordable opportunities and space for local food producers, caterers, and budding restauranteurs. Zach has worked tirelessly and expended his own resources to allow locals to sell their farm products and food wares while staying in compliance with the myriad of state and federal regulations governing the distribution of food products. Commercial realtor Hammy Davis has served as an invaluable benefactor by providing the space at no charge and building the necessary infrastructure as Acadiana Food Hub builds its capacity and becomes sustainable. Hammy's monetary investment and belief in Zach McMath have given the Acadiana Food Hub its wings to serve small business people who will never meet the investor who quietly helped launch this endeavor to support local vendors. Awareness of the difficulties a small producer can face in accessing food from local farmers, as well as getting wares on the market legally, developed several years back when Zach and his former wife created Evolve juice. While the company utilized local produce from organic farmers with a mission to bring the healthiest and freshest food juice to the Acadiana market, it quickly became obvious that identifying farmers, passing inspection, and setting up a storefront created huge hurdles for the small business owner. McMath identified three separate components that are necessary to effectively assist farmers and entrepreneurs who need a low-cost solution to get their business off the ground: The Acadiana Food Hub, The Acadiana Incubator Kitchen, and the Acadiana Commissary Kitchen. Acadiana Food Hub is a non-profit business providing warehouse space for the storage and distribution of goods produced locally. Think of a one-stop shop for local businesses looking to develop and sell a product, or farmers who need a place to store their harvest to be ready for quick sale. WaitR has partnered with the Food Hub and you can order online to receive a shipment every Wednesday afternoon. The McMath Group will broker food sales and facilitate business relationships between food makers and food buyers (e.g. restaurants, grocers, food delivery services), as well guide the client to find affordable web developers and business Acadiana Incubator Kitchen is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved space for artisans, who can rent the space as needed, to develop their products to sell in wholesale markets and retail businesses. Many vendors became painfully aware when Whole Foods opened that their goods could not be sold because they were being produced from the home kitchen; the law provides that a separate, professional kitchen which meets all state and federal guidelines be utilized when selling at retail. The Incubator Kitchen rents out space to facilitate the development of products by providing commercial kitchen equipment. Zach also assists the vendor in developing barcodes, labeling of the product, and other necessary steps to get the product on the shelf of grocery stores and markets. The Acadiana Commissary Kitchen is a separate commercial kitchen space for the region's food retail food producers, such as caterers, food trucks, and virtual restaurants, who need secure & certified space to run their business, and is the only one of its type in Louisiana that serves retail clients. Zach has prepared a tenant punch list which outlines all of the legal steps that need to be taken to set up a business and operate legally, which is available on their website.

Things are changing around here. A few years ago, you never heard the words "entrepreneur" and "Acadiana" in the same sentence. Then we started to see what s known an "entrepreneurial ecosystem" grow up here. That s where people start up new businesses based on all kinds of outlandish ideas far removed from our usual oil and gas economy. To help these businesses succeed there are business incubators, business accelerators, angel investors, and even some access to venture capital to grow these new businesses. Because this is how household name tech businesses were born and grew up in Silicon Valley, people around here started saying, "If this entrepreneurial ecosystem is so great, shouldn t we have our own success story Like Google or Facebook " Well, guess, what As of 2018 we do. It s called Waitr. Waitr is a food delivery app that connects hungry people to restaurants. You place an order on your Waitr app. Waitr s proprietary technology sends your order to a restaurant. And in the real world, Waitr sends a driver who picks up your order and delivers it to you. In case you re thinking this is far too simple of a concept to be as big as Facebook, Waitr sold to the owner of the Houston Rockets and Landry s restaurants, for 308m. And it s barely started growing. Chris Meaux founded Waitr in Lake Charles in 2015. As a part of the company s sale, Chris is going to stay on as CEO. And when Waitr goes public, later this year, Chris will be Chairman of the Board. This sensational overnight success has taken Chris 23 years of hard work in the tech sector to achieve. In this candid conversation with Aileen Bennett, Chris chronicles where he s come from, where he s at, and, more importantly to him, the long road of deliveries and deliverables he has ahead. Photos over lunch at Cafe Vermilionville by Thomas Peters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People come to Louisiana looking for everything from Alligators to Zydeco. The two things they are usually not looking for are high tech superstars and women duck hunters. That s exactly who Peter s guests on Out to Lunch are looking for. Bill Ellison and his venture capital organization Innovation Catalyst invest in new high tech companies. Some of them turn out to be big deals, like Waitr, which recently sold for 308m. Emily Degan s company, Saint Hugh, makes outdoor apparel, focused on functional and fashionable clothes for women who like to hunt ducks. In business, New Orleans and Louisiana are both undeniably changing. Ideas and companies that would have been completely foreign to us and unfundable a few years ago, are taking root and flourishing. It no longer seems unreasonable or unlikely to wonder if Saint Hugh could become the next Lulu Lemon or if Innovation Catalyst could finance the next Facebook. Photos at Commander s Palace by Jill Lafleur. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This season of "The Lafayette Food Junkie" radio show brought to you by Parish Tins. www.parishtins.com Mark Whitney, a copy writer with BBR, joined as this week's guest cohost. The two discussed some stellar customer service Tiffiany recently had with Waitr and what is more important to the two of them when dining out - service or food? Mark discussed making coffee liquor at home and what's made him a better food photographer. They also discussed bad restaurant names.

"I want to be the best football player I can be for as long as I can be." Drew Brees is a man of football records. For starters, he's the Big Ten record-holder in virtually every passing category. Since 2006, he has more touchdowns, passing yards, and 300-yard games than any other NFL quarterback, he's eclipsed the 5,000 passing yard season-marker five times in his career, where no other NFL quarterback has achieved this more than once. He's a Super Bowl Champion, MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and the list goes on. Off the field, Brees owns dozens of franchises, including Dunkin' Donuts, Jimmy John's, Title Boxing Club, and others. He's invested in tech startups, most recently leading a $10mm seed round with a Louisiana-based food delivery startup, Waitr. His investment thesis is tight. In Episode 13, Drew and I talk about recovering from career-threatening injuries, his crossover skill sets from NFL captain and quarterback to business operator and investor, and what characteristics he looks for from founders in pitch meetings as well as rookies in the NFL.  Welcome to Suiting Up Podcast, where I interview athletes, media executives, team owners, and other key stakeholders about the duality of the modern professional athlete, their startup investing appetite, other strategic investments, NewCos, social media influencing, creative marketing and digital strategy. Today’s athlete, whether active or retired, is continuously redefining what it means to be a professional on and off the field.

Jaime interviews Chris Meaux of Waitr -- get the inside scoop on what's happening with online ordering and delivery for restaurants.

Chris Meaux has been a businessman and an entrepreneur all his life. After a large failure in an internet startup, Chris took one more shot and founded Waitr, a food delivery service. To date, Waitr has done over 2.1 million orders and averages 70,000 per week. Chris is proud of his success, but more-so proud of being able to sustain his rapidly growing technology business in Acadiana.

Waitr is a booming delivery service in Louisiana. We sat down with one of the co-creators to talk about the popularity of the delivery service.

Sonny Mayugba, serial entrepreneur, former budding rock star, skateboard & snowboard thrasher and publisher, founder and co-owner of Red Rabbit, founder of Requested, alum of Launch accelerator, and now CMO of Waitr spent an hour and half answering all kinds of questions from Sacramento startup founders and entrepreneurs at the inaugural StartupSac Happy Hour at […]

I m sure that like most folks around here living in Acadiana has advantages that you wouldn t trade for anything. But, despite the great food, music, and generally unbeatable lifestyle, I m sure you also assume there s only so much you can achieve here. Especially in business. Things like technology innovations. They come from Silicon Valley. Right Nationally known alcohol distilleries are in places like Kentucky and New Jersey. It s time to change our assumptions. Chris Meaux has created and launched what is turning out to be a revolutionary piece of technology. It s a phone app. Called Waitr. Waitr, very simply, allows any restaurant even white tablecloth fine dining establishments to deliver food to you at home. Or work. Chris started Waitr in 2013 with five people. Today he has 126 fulltime employees and another 350 part time or contract workers. And Waitr is just getting warmed up. Trey Littel started building his company in 2011. In 2016, the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association named it the State s number one tourist attraction. It s not a museum. Or a plantation home. It s a rum distillery. It s called Louisiana Spirits, the home of Bayou Rum. Louisiana Spirits is the largest privately owned rum distillery in the United States. The huge numbers of tourists who stop in at the distillery have gone home and spread the word across America. Now Bayou Rum is growing in popularity across the country. Trey Litel and Chris Meaux s kids went to the same school, Chris and Trey went to the same school, and they live pretty close to each other. But this is the first time ever they ve gotten to sit down and talk about business. Pretty soon you can expect to see Chris s Waitrs delivering Trey s rum. A very productive, informative, and super fun, lunch. Photos at Social by Gwen Aucoin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we talk about Waitr and Protractor, two Jasmine WebDriver APIs, Angular 2.0 surfaces, we talk about Apple's self-driving car, and discuss a bunch of new Amazon AWS features including Cloud Trail for Route53 and health checks. Stay to the end for our silly Apple Car jokes. The post DevNews #95 – We talk about new AWS services, Angular JS 2.0 surfaces, and the Apple Car is a thing? appeared first on Chariot Solutions.

Yes, we know…but this show is nothing if not steeped in variety. Today we felt it important to learn more about the brutal terror group, Islamic State (or ISIS or ISIL or whatever they are called). We learn a lot from an expert on counter-terrorism with 30 years experience in the C.I.A. Plus we got a full report on the happening in New Orleans for this, Fat Tuesday and all things Mardi Gras. And a board certified plastic surgeon reveals we are living in the “Age of the booty.” Nice to know, right? And our travel guy gives tips on deep off-season discounts to great cities. Add to those interviews, great stories like: Patti Hearst competes and wins, kindergarten teacher pounds beers IN CLASS, female Viagra is coming, Apple to pay BIG bucks for Tesla, the secrets of longevity according to a 115 year old woman, is the Washington Monument shrinking or not?, the top flirting techniques and a sexual renaissance will occur in your marriage….you just have to waitR [...]