On today’s episode of The Feed, I sat down with Eli Feldman of Shybird and Ivan Romero of Kintow for a special conversation about the future of AI agents in the restaurant industry. In this episode, we dive into why there’s been a sudden explosion of AI startups in food, what the best use cases are for this technology, and the landscape of large incumbents and smaller companies attacking the problem from both ends.
Mott Smith is the Co-Owner & CEO of Amped Kitchens, a commercial kitchen landlord in Los Angeles and Chicago that is home to large and small brands alike. In this episode we’ll talk about the ghost and commercial kitchen landscape, how they compare to other asset classes, and key drivers of success for emerging CPG businesses.
Whitney Pegden is the General Manager of Blue Apron at Wonder. In this episode we chat about how Blue Apron has evolved from meal kits towards new categories like “Assemble and Bake” meals, the various synergies unlocked with parent company Wonder, and the future of personalization.
Sagar Mehta is the Chief Technology Officer of OpenTable, a leading online restaurant reservations platform with over 60k venues worldwide. In this episode, we chat about the current restaurant reservations landscape, how the marketplace is uniquely leveraging generative AI, and the new types of products it’s building to help restaurants grow within their four walls.
Randall Hom is the Co-Founder of Hostie, an AI-based customer experience platform that centralizes a restaurant’s calls, texts, and emails into a single system. In this episode, we’ll talk about how Hostie is saving restaurants countless hours in redundant phone calls, how it integrates with reservation and POS companies to automate 80% of inquiries, and the impact of AI on the restaurant workforce.
This is a special edition of HNGRY Live, conversations with the paid HNGRY Trends community. Last week, the group came together for an hour-long discussion about personalizing menu data to individuals' dietary and allergy profiles, and eventually our nutritional needs.
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Jonathan Wolf is the Co-Founder & CEO of ZOE, a personalized nutrition platform running the world’s largest nutritional study through its app and clinical trials. In this episode, we’ll chat about how ZOE applies machine learning to health data to predict what we should eat, the power of the gut microbiome, and ZOE’s new strategy to tap into a wider audience of participants.
This is a special edition of HNGRY Live, conversations with the paid HNGRY Trends community. Last week, the group came together for an hour long discussion about DoorDash's latest acquisitions of UK-based Deliveroo for its international expansion and SevenRooms for its 1p commerce platform.
Join in on future live discussions by becoming a paid HNGRY Trends member.
Young Stowe is the Co-Founder & CEO of Unified Ferments, a beverage company leveraging fermentation to express the world’s best teas. In this episode, we’ll talk about how Unified Ferments is combining culinary wisdom of age-old tea production and fermentation, its parallels to fine wine, and the rise of non-alcoholic beverages in retail and foodservice.
Tom Shea is the co-founder & CEO of Adgile Media Group, an out of home media startup transforming how consumer brands advertise on moving trucks. In this episode, we’ll talk about Adgile’s innovative use of geofencing, how it attributes offline ad impressions, and the future impact of AI on growth marketing.
Delanie Thurlow is an account executive leading US sales at Grounded Packaging, a sustainable packaging design and consulting firm helping CPG brands meet their environmental goals. In this episode, we’ll talk about the current state of recycling and composting, the nuances of different packaging approaches, and the future of the circular economy.
Kasia Bednarz is the Co-Founder & CEO of FARE, a Chicago-based fast casual that prides itself on seasonal, wholesome ingredients without sacrificing on comfort or taste. In this episode, we’ll talk about FARE’s new expansion strategy, how it leverages technology inside and outside the kitchen, and how it’s uniquely positioned from its salad peers.
Taylor Sewell is the Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of Hippie Water, a low-dose THC-infused social tonic. In this episode we’ll talk about how functional beverages like Hippie Water pose a threat to traditional beverage alcohol, how hemp-derived THC extraction opens up a massive market into foodservice and retail, and behavior shifts these beverages are starting to create.
Use code HNGRY20 for 20% off of Hippie Water
Vivien Sin is the Co-Founder & CEO of The Third Place, a software platform empowering independent hospitality businesses to layer new recurring revenue streams on top of their four walls. In this episode, we discuss the current state of subscriptions and memberships of platforms like Table22 and Dorsia, and how restaurants can tap into these activities to cover their fixed costs.
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Ayesha Abuelhiga is the Founder & CEO of Mason Dixie Foods, a scratch made frozen breakfast brand centered around biscuit sandwiches. In this episode, we’ll talk about the whitespace for better-for-you brands to disrupt the frozen aisle, the innovations in high-speed ovens for foodservice, and the future of nutrition and convenience.
This is a special episode of HNGRY Live, conversations with members of the HNGRY Trends community that analyze industry news in real-time. We discuss live the current state of third and first-party restaurant catering and its massive whitespace.
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Aaron Gatti is the Founder & CEO of BRAMI, a next-gen pasta and snacking brand that leverages the power of Italian lupini beans. In this episode, we’ll talk about the war against pasta, how our mass industrialized food system has contributed to this stigma, and the future of stealth health products that provide nutritional and taste upgrades to age-old categories like pasta.
This is a special episode of HNGRY Live, conversations with members of the HNGRY Trends community that analyze industry news in real-time. We discuss the current landscape of D2C meal players like CookUnity, Wonder, and Blue Apron, the recent M&A activity, and analyze business models.
To join future live events and participate in Q&A, become a paid member here.
This is a special episode of HNGRY Live, conversations with members of the HNGRY Trends community that analyze industry news in real-time. We discuss Brandon's latest trip to KFC's new chicken tender concept Saucy and what it means for the QSR chain.
To join future live events and participate in Q&A, become a paid member here.
Avi Goren is the co-founder & CEO of Marqii, an online platform that helps local businesses like restaurants, bars, and cafes manage their listings and reviews across a multitude of platforms. In this episode, we’ll talk about the importance of platforms like Google and Yelp, how Marqii is leveraging AI for its reviews, and the future of digital hospitality.