Population’s Post

This was a must-watch for me. This Week in Startups (my favorite show about tech) hosting Jonathan Neman, co-founder of Sweetgreen (my favorite foodservice brand). Inspiring. Here are a few of my personal highlights: ✅ Learned about a book called “Unreasonable Hospitality” (added to my reading list at the very top) ✅ Sweetgreen is poised to start rolling out automated kitchens — which is crazy (is this the first big brand that managed solve the CAPEX problem with robotics in foodservice?) ✅ It was super sad to hear that Sweetgreen gave in to the aggregators, even though they are so strong in their own digital channels (does this mean we are all doomed in foodservice?) ✅ Loved the idea of “Spotify” for food - such a promising concept, although quite challenging in implementation. All and all, highly recommended!   https://lnkd.in/dxv6qsdu

📣 ATTENTION RESTAURATEURS and INDUSTRY LEADERS📣 Could "Dynamic Pricing" be the key to revolutionizing profitability in the restaurant industry?💹 We've just published a thought-provoking article that explores how tech startups, like JUICER are helping restaurants automate pricing with machine learning algorithms 🧠🚀 JUICER, helmed by trailblazers Ashwin Kamlani, Carl Orsbourn, Drew Patterson, and Marco Benvenuti, has its fingers firmly on the pulse of where the restaurant business is headed with its breakthrough dynamic pricing technology. Curious? 🤔 Check this must-read for anyone seeking to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-competitive restaurant sector ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eKDmsQPR In the evolving world of restaurants, are the brave firms like @JUICER leading the charge to a more profitable future worth watching out for? Join the conversation below.👇 #RestaurantIndustry #DynamicPricing #Profitability #MachineLearning #DataDriven #Innovation #TechStartups Follow JUICER's journey on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/eKRmnEfA

Furthermore, our approach isn’t linear. Our data analysis and strategy implementation is at menu item level. Not all menu items behave the same way, and the sales of one item influence the sales of another. Our technology recognizes that. Thank you US Venture News #revenuemanagement #restaurantmanagement

Foodservice goes beyond mere sustenance; it’s about crafting unforgettable experiences that unite us.  Discover how 10 innovative startups are reshaping the dining landscape with cutting-edge technology, exceptional customer service, and sustainable business models. From Le Room Service and EyeGo to Proppos, Alberts, Cupffee, Hyper Food Robotics Ltd., Orbisk, Zero Food Waste, Miso Robotics, and Debyazah, these companies are challenging norms and inspiring a new era in dining out. Read the full article here https://bit.ly/4dHHSF2 #FoodService #Startups #Innovation #Technology #Sustainability

"Aniai, a startup that has built a burger-grilling robot, Alpha Grill, said today it has raised $12 million, bringing its total raise to $15 million. The money will go toward launching its first manufacturing facility, Factory One, in South Korea. The firm will also be deploying a cloud-based AI software platform for the robot called Alpha Cloud. Robot adoption in the restaurant business is becoming popular as it can help restaurants address their high pain points like labor shortages, and rising wage issues. Robotics enables restaurants to save 30% to 70% of labor costs, and restaurants could replace more than 80% of restaurant positions with robots, according to a research report. 'Burger chains hire six to eight kitchen staff per shift to grill burgers,' Aniai CEO Gunpil Hwang said. 'Alpha Grill enables restaurants to engage only one staff member to grill burgers.' The New York-headquartered startup says it will launch Factory One this year to meet the growing market demand for Alpha Grill, with around 500 pre-orders for delivery starting in the first quarter of 2024. Its manufacturing facility will be able to produce more than 1,000 robots annually. The company’s double-sided Alpha Grill, launched in 2022, can cook 200 patties per hour, or eight patties simultaneously (after human staff places them on a grill)." #startups #equipmentleasing #equipmentfinance #financialservices #corporatefinance #finance #foodandbeverage https://lnkd.in/gWK2EA5e

If life circumstances were different, I'd be at ground zero helping Rajat Bhageria build Chef. I remember meeting him when the whole of Chef could fit in the square footage of the average size home kitchen. I was inspired by how much he and the team had done before having built much technology or a physical product demo. I decided I would advise, and later became an investor. I've had the privilege of being part of many different robotics startups with varied business models in very different industries. Chef hits a sweet spot: plain simple unit economics that solidly close, no tech miracles required, [abundant] pull market, seemingly recession proof, and a clear path where more robotics capability in the same product class = more SAM. When culture, focus, team, market, and investment all converge, truly amazing things can happen. That just landed for Chef, read more below. Congratulations again, Rajat Bhageria and the whole Chef team. There's still a lot more boulder to push up the hill. If you're reading this and are interested in a role, I'd be more than happy to connect you; reach out direct.

🍕 How are restaurants leveraging tech to improve customer satisfaction & increase revenue? This research focuses on top 10 restaurant industry trends based on our analysis of 1000+ companies. The trends include contactless transactions, delivery robots, predictive ordering & more 👉 https://bit.ly/46UhQKc ft. Tablenu VOICEplug AI Bukyia Dyrt Uranus Oil Delivery Couple QS Monitor SeedsBit Foodbud Fountain9 (YC W21) #restaurants #industrytrends #trendresearch #report #discoveryplatform #deliveryrobots #predictiveordering #startups #horeca #trends

🍽️🤖 As part of our quick founder questions series - or #QFQ - we spoke to Conor Sheridan, CEO and Founder of Nory about building a system for front line #teams, cutting #food waste and international #expansion. "Nory acts like an #AI co-pilot for staff and models business data 24/7 and recommends actions across operations to improve #productivity, prevent #waste and boost bottom line #profitability." "Beyond just building something people love and need, you need to build the #business in such a way that it can achieve the scale required, in a reasonable timeframe." https://lnkd.in/gBQUM9Ab

[Hanwha Foodtech acquires robot-powered Stellar Pizza] Hanwha Foodtech has acquired the US-based robot pizza brand, Stellar Pizza, as part of its efforts to drive technological innovation in the food service industry. In January, Hanwha Foodtech signed a memorandum of understanding with Serve Automation, the parent company of Stellar Pizza, for a transfer of assets. Contractual documents for the acquisition were finalized Thursday. The acquisition was facilitated by Hanwha Foodtech Global, the US subsidiary of Hanwha Foodtech, the company said Monday. The exact amount of the deal was not disclosed immediately. Serve Automation, founded in 2019 by engineers from SpaceX, is headed by Benson Tsai, a former SpaceX engineer responsible for the development of rocket and satellite battery systems. 한화푸드테크 intends to acquire all assets of Stellar Pizza, retaining key technicians and management executives, including Tsai. Tap below to read full story. #Hanwha #Foodtech #StellarPizza #technology #robot #SpaceX #satellite https://lnkd.in/ggSwxxSZ