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☆ You might be charged a new 99-cent fee on food orders — and some restaurants are fuming
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Restaurants are in an uproar over a 99-cent fee that Toast has begun charging online customers. Instead, you might have to fault the restaurant's digital ordering tech provider, Toast. Toast, which works with 85,000 restaurants in the US, is charging consumers a 99-cent fee for online orders over $10. "If that's a $10 order, that's a 10% increase. That's a big whack of an increase if you ask me," Orsbourn said recently in his podcast, "The Digital Restaurant."

Persons: Toast, Grant Austin, Freddy J's, Baglesbyjarre, Tony Naser, Gil Brucken, Will Toast, Carl Orsbourn, Orsbourn Organizations: Service, Fox Business, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, Jersey, Massachusetts

☆ No one wants Subway
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The move comes as Subway has seen its store count decline by the hundreds over the years. In late January, Buck's foundation, where his two sons work, revealed that the late co-founder had left the charity his 50% stake in Subway . Subway has spent the past few years trimming corporate staff and closing stores under CEO John Chidsey. Despite previous years of slumping sales and store closures, Subway has recently gained some momentum. Are you a Subway insider or franchisee with insight to share?

Persons: Trevor Haynes, Haynes, Peter Buck, John Chidsey, Subway's Organizations: Subway, NY Post, Service, nab, New York Post, Bloomberg, Post Locations: Wall, Silicon, Buck's, Subway

☆ 'Ghost' menu massacre: Virtual brands face a reckoning as Uber Eats slashes 8,000 from its app
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Uber Eats has cut 8,000 virtual brands from its app. Uber Eats' virtual-brand policies come a year after Insider reported that DoorDash and Grubhub were cracking down on virtual brands. It also must be 60% different from any other virtual restaurant operating from that same physical location, Uber Eats said. At the start of the year, Park had 10 Asian-themed virtual brands listed on Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. He said Uber Eats booted eight of his virtual restaurants from the app during the March purge.

Persons: DoorDash, Uber, John Mullenholz, DoorDash hasn't, Joon, MrBeast, Burger, Dave Kotinsky MrBeast Burger, Mullenholz, Jimmy Donaldson, Mariah Carey, it's, Meredith Sandland Organizations: Service, Dining Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington

☆ DoorDash's 10-year march to dominance, from its start in a Stanford dorm room to knocking out Grubhub for No. 1 delivery app
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Ten years ago, DoorDash launched a local delivery service from a Stanford dorm room. 1 food delivery operator in the US. Here are 10 big milestones for the on-demand delivery provider of groceries and restaurant meals. "Ultimately, our vision is to build the local, on-demand Fedex," DoorDash wrote in an October 2013 Medium post. The company started with food delivery but has since expanded to offer on-demand delivery of groceries, beauty supplies, and convenience store goods.

Persons: DoorDash, Tony Xu, Evan Moore, Stanley Tang, Andy Fang, Grubhub, Uber Organizations: Stanford, Service, Fedex Locations: Wall, Silicon, Stanford

☆ Diners are shocked to see a 4% 'employee healthcare' fee on their bills at an LA restaurant — but the owner says it's common
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Diners are increasingly noticing restaurant surcharges. A Los Angeles eatery received blowback after a diner tweeted about its 4% healthcare surcharge. Some questioned if the owner would cancel an employee's health insurance on a slow night. If the restaurant has a slow day or u opt-out, do staff not get health insurance that day?" "As most LA diners will know, Alimento's 4% healthcare surcharge is hardly unique," he wrote.

Persons: Dave Anthony, Mr Dave Anthony, Lord, Anthony, Alimento, Zach Pollack, Instagram, Pollack, Condie, surcharges, Vinny's Organizations: Industry, Service, Twitter, Affordable, ACA, California Restaurant Association, Restaurant Association, Jon, Daily Mail, CRA Locations: Los Angeles, Wall, Silicon, Italian, Silver Lake, North America, California, San Francisco, Dallas

☆ DoorDash quietly ends an experiment to deliver grocery orders within 15 minutes in NYC
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In 2021, Gorillas, Buyk, and Gopuff opened dozens of rapid-delivery warehouses in Manhattan. Amid a collapse in the sector, DoorDash has ceased its ultrafast delivery operation in Chelsea. DoorDash's exit comes as the ultrafast grocery delivery space has collapsed over the past year after growing wildly in spring 2021. Many had spread throughout New York City, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco. Neighborhoods in New York City also balked at the dark store operations, accusing them of ruining retail enclaves and taking away business from local bodegas.

Persons: Gopuff, DoorDash, —, York DashMart, Fuad Hannon, they're, Hannon, Robert Mollins, Gordon, Getir Organizations: Investors, Service, The Locations: Manhattan, Chelsea, New York City, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, York

Uber, DoorDash, and Grubhub are suing New York City to block a new minimum wage law for delivery workers. Beginning on July 12, delivery apps must pay drivers about $18 per hour they are active on the app. Beginning July 12, delivery drivers in New York City must earn a minimum wage of about $18 an hour, according to a law signed by Eric Adams last month. The new minimum wage would require delivery apps to either pay drivers roughly 50 cents per minute of every trip or pay drivers $17.96 per hour they are active on the app. "Now because there are more delivery drivers and people are ordering less and tipping less, it's becoming more difficult.

Persons: —, Eric Adams, DoorDash, Alberto Mendes, Mendes, we're, Grubhub, I've, Harry Campbell, Guy, Uber Organizations: New, Service, Drivers, Department of Consumer and Worker, Grubhub, Unidos Locations: New York City, New York

☆ Subway is giving away 1 million subs to mark the debut of their automated deli slicers in 20,000 stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The privately-held company, which is up for sale, has added meat slicers to 20,000 stores. The chain is giving away 1 million subs to mark the debut of new heftier, deli-sliced subs. The company invested $80 million, equipping 20,000 restaurants with meat slicers over nine months. Before introducing slicers, Subway has rolled out artisan loaves of bread, upgraded soups, new meats, and dressings since 2021. Subway invested $80 million installing meat slicers in 20,000 stores.

Persons: —, Trevor Haynes, Haynes, Paul Fabre, John Chidsey, Subway's Organizations: Subway, Service, Bloomberg Locations: Miami, North America, Jersey, Turkey

☆ DoorDash is changing how it pays its 13 million gig drivers – and will let customers boost tips after delivery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New features include giving customers the ability to edit tips after the delivery is complete. The company is also giving its gig workers the choice to earn their pay per hour, instead of by delivery order. Customers can add or increase a tip for drivers on the app up to 30 days after delivery. At DoorDash, consumers won't be able to reduce tips after delivery, the company said. DoorDash is also launching SNAP benefits for online payments for grocery delivery with brands such as Safeway, Albertsons, Meijer, Aldi, and 7-Eleven.

Persons: —, Rajat Shroff, DoorDash's, Shroff, Austin Haugen, Uber, Sergio Avedian, DoorDash, Cody Aughney, Aughney Organizations: Service, Consumers, Logistics, Dasher & Logistics, Safeway, Albertsons Locations: DoorDash, Los Angeles, Canada, Australia, Meijer, Aldi

☆ A TikTok craze has people stealing dishes and glasses from restaurants, and it's revealing a long history of sticky-fingered diners
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Restaurant owners say the trend shows just how often things go missing at their establishments. Restaurant owners told Insider that customers who deploy the five-finger discount have been around for as long as they can remember but TikTok has given people an opportunity to share their exploits. "I actually have to stock them in my apartment," he told Insider. Some restaurant owners are trying to look at the bright side. Occasionally, he said, he's even seen people post videos of house parties where, in the background, he can see partiers drinking out of one of his bar's glasses.

Persons: —, Chris Klemens, Klemens, , Andrew Rigie, Chapman, Wil Dee, Dee, Mathias Van Leyden, Loulou, he's, Petit, Dee hadn't, Van Leyden, they're, Sands, Fritz Brogan, Brogan Organizations: Service, New, Hospitality Alliance, Orange County, Food & Wine, Mission, Royal Sands Social Locations: New York, Orange, Southern California, Orange , California, Manhattan, Washington, DC

☆ Domino's can find you wherever you are with new Google pin drop tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Domino's is using Google Maps tech to launch Pinpoint Delivery. Domino's has seen a slowdown in its delivery business due to inflationary pressures on customers. The pizza chain, which bills itself as a tech chain that happens to sell pizza, is leveraging Google Maps technology to deliver pizzas to locations without addresses, such as parks, beaches, and baseball fields. Domino's is leveraging Google Maps tech for Pinpoint Delivery. There's no extra cost for Pinpoint Delivery, which comes as inflationary pressures have hurt Domino's delivery business.

Persons: Domino's, —, Christopher Thomas, Moore, Carl Orsbourn, Sandeep Reddy, Reddy Organizations: Google, Service, Oppenheimer, Commerce, NPD

☆ Inside the rise of a Wall Street wunderkind
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Achieving success at an early age is impressive in any industry, but it's particularly awe-inspiring on Wall Street. Kuenzel, who started as an intern at hedge fund Citadel in 2018 and focused on quantitative research, spoke about his rise within Griffin's financial empire. It's a good lesson for how fixing issues at work is a surefire way to supercharge your career. The Fed and the SEC are investigating the work Goldman did with SVB in the lead-up to its failure, The Wall Street Journal reports. If you're suffering from pre-diabetes or obesity, intermittent fasting could be a good way to control your blood sugar.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, Wilhelm, we've, Peter Cade, Emmalyse Brownstein, Soeren Kuenzel, Ken Griffin's, Kuenzel, Griffin, Nancy Luna, Goldman Sachs, Adam Dell, Morgan Stanley, Crispin Odey, Goldman, Qi Tom Chen, Horace Mann School, Jeffrey Cane, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: Getty, Citadel Securities, Citadel, Bloomberg, Odey, Management, JPMorgan, SEC, Street, CNBC, Horace Mann, LinkedIn Locations: London, New York

☆ I ate at Cava, the popular Mediterranean fast-casual chain that's going public and says it's worth $2.1 billion. It was mostly delicious but I was let down by the hummus.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Overall, I can see why Cava is preparing to go public now. Restaurant visits are surging and Cava needs the capital to bring its brand to the masses. They have a captive audience in Gen Z, a generation looking for brands that share their eating habits and ethos.

Persons: Gen Z, Nancy Luna Locations: Cava

☆ I tried the Krispy Kreme doughnuts at McDonald's, but they didn't compare to the freshly made ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I decided to try doughnuts from both the Krispy Kreme shop and McDonald's to see how they compared. Here's what I found testing Krispy Kreme doughnuts, as sold by McDonald's, versus one from a nearby Krispy Kreme shop. Pro: The doughnut was available quickly at McDonald'sI received my Krispy Kreme doughnut upon purchasing in less than a minute. Con: The McDonald's doughnut cost more than the one sold directly by Krispy KremeThe Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut cost 53 cents less than the same item from McDonald's. Con: The Krispy Kreme doughnuts from McDonald's weren't warm like those from the doughnut shop, and they didn't seem as fresh.

☆ I ate at Cava, the popular Mediterranean fast-casual chain that's going public. It was mostly delicious but I was let down by the hummus.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Read the full memo: McDonald's outlines plans for layoffs and shift in strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Gloria Dawson | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

McDonald's offices will be temporarily closed as the company prepares for layoffs, according to an internal memo. This week, employees will learn more about the fate of their employment. Read the full memo:Headlines for the Week of April 3AlI U.S.-based McDonald's offices, including MHO, will be closed April 3-5 and employees should work remotely. AlI U.S.-based employees who work from an office location may work remotely for the duration of the week of April 3. AlI U.S.-based McDonald's offices, including MHQ, are closed April 3-5 and employees should work remotely.

☆ McDonald's is selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one test market. I tried them — and they're not as good as the freshly made ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

McDonald's is selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts at 160 locations in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. I decided to try doughnuts from both the Krispy Kreme shop and McDonald's to see how they compared. Here's what I found testing Krispy Kreme doughnuts, as sold by McDonald's, versus one from a nearby Krispy Kreme shop. Pro: The doughnut was available quickly at McDonald'sI received my Krispy Kreme doughnut upon purchasing in less than a minute. Con: The McDonald's doughnut cost more than the one sold directly by Krispy KremeThe Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut cost 53 cents less than the same item from McDonald's.

☆ 'I'd really prefer it if he stayed out of our way': Starbucks union organizers lash out at CEO's promise to work behind the counter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Starbucks' new CEO Laxman Narasimhan announced he'll spend a half-day every month pulling coffees. Seven Starbucks stores announced they have begun the unionization process Thursday. During the annual Starbucks shareholder meeting Thursday, Starbucks Workers United announced seven new stores had filed for union elections. Workers at those stores said they hope the move shows that the labor movement at Starbucks isn't lost on Middle America. "Union Starbucks partners are here to stay."

☆ New Starbucks CEO says he'll work a half-day behind a store counter monthly as he plans to prioritize 'human connection over every cup of coffee'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In his letter, obtained by Insider, he said there's an opportunity "for a refounding of Starbucks" by prioritizing "human connection over every cup of coffee." Though he didn't mention the ongoing movement to unionize Starbucks stores, Narasimhan repeatedly discussed the "partner" experience. Nearly 300 Starbucks stores nationwide have voted to unionize. Laxman Narasimhan officially took over as CEO of Starbucks on March 20. He ended the letter by saying one thing that won't change – how employees greet customers: "How may we serve you today?"

☆ Dunkin' rolls out breakfast tacos as competition heats up for fast food morning grub
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Dunkin' added breakfast tacos to its menu on March 22. The move comes as McDonald's expanded its test of serving Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Kentucky. Today, Dunkin' launched breakfast tacos for under $3 each. At a December investor day conference, Taco Bell CEO Mark King announced plans to compete with McDonald's at breakfast and lunch. Wendy's, which introduced a new breakfast menu three years ago, told Nation's Restaurant News this month that breakfast sales have surpassed sales targets of $3,000 per week per restaurant.

☆ Starbucks' olive oil-infused coffee drinks are making their US debut despite some skepticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, Starbucks launched a new line of olive oil-infused coffee and espresso drinks in Italy. Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in Chicago, Seattle, and New York will be the first stores to offer the olive oil elixirs. Reserve stores like the chain's new Empire State Building location sell premium coffee and espresso drinks. Dousing your morning brew with olive oil may sound unappetizing to some. The Delish food site said the Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso was a terrific choice for iced coffee fans.

☆ Here's the method Chick-fil-A workers use to keep their cool with angry customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

At Chick-fil-A, a doc says employees are trained to show compassion to "recover unsatisfied guests." Workers are told to focus on de-escalating tough situations using the HEARD model. This training document tells Chick-fil-A workers how to "recover" unhappy customers. Insider sourceArthur Greeno, one of the few multiunit Chick-fil-A franchisees in the US, wrote a LinkedIn article about the HEARD model in 2021. Are you a Chick-fil-A insider with insight to share?

☆ DoorDash customers can now pay with cash for some pizza and other food deliveries just like in the old days
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

That policy changes this week with the launch of Cash on Delivery for DoorDash's white label delivery service, DoorDash Drive, DoorDash announced Tuesday. While Cash on Delivery is available to any restaurant using DoorDash Drive, DoorDash said pizza and Chinese restaurants have been early adopters of Cash on Delivery during testing. DoorDash said Cash on Delivery is only available for restaurants using DoorDash Drive because those merchants specifically requested a cash option as many customers expect flexible payment methods. "Customers coming to DoorDash expect to pay with credit card, opposed to with cash," DoorDash told Insider. As such, DoorDash said its white-label delivery service could be an attractive option for pizza operators looking for a delivery service that now also accepts cash.

☆ Meet Laxman Narasimhan, a coffee industry outsider who just took over as CEO of Starbucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Laxman Narasimhan officially took over as Starbucks CEO, replacing Howard Schultz. Narasimhan is new to the coffee industry, having started his career in the consulting world before joining PepsiCo, and, later, British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser. Narasimhan built his career in the beverage and consumer-goods industriesLaxman Narasimhan at Starbucks Investor Day in September 2022. Starbucks said at the time that Narasimhan would begin as CEO on April 1, taking over for interim CEO Schultz. Of the 365 Starbucks stores that have held votes to unionize, 292 have voted to form a union.

☆ I ate at Dave's Hot Chicken and saw why this is the fastest-growing chain in the US – but I had to draw the line at the palate-scorching Reaper, which requires signing a waiver
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Overall, the jumbo tenders and the graffiti wall murals are the showstoppers at Dave's. The chain's made-to-order foods are prepared with high-quality ingredients. It reminds me of the early days of Shake Shack, one of the best better burger chains in the US. I expect Dave's to grow its fan base as it builds its hot fried chicken empire around the US. Nancy Luna/Insider

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