Shows
The Digital RestaurantWhy Agile Marketing is the Essential Restaurant Skill in the Digital AgeSend us a textThis week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Jennifer Kern, CMO of Qu, for a fast-moving conversation about the headlines shaping restaurants, technology, and consumer behavior.We kick off with a surprising stat: half of adults are ordering kids meals. (01:00) What does this say about QSR value wars, portion sizes, and how brands like CAVA and Starbucks are reframing value through experience, not just price?Next, we examine Chipotle’s partnership with Zipline (05:00), which involves testing drone delivery in Dallas. Is th...
2025-09-0227 min
The Digital RestaurantBeware, Be Kind of Viral InfluencersSend us a textIn this episode of The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Emmy Award–winning storyteller Mike Duffy of Yum Crunch. Together they break down five timely stories shaping restaurants and tech:McDonald’s bets on web ordering through DoorDash—does convenience outweigh control?Yum Brands’ Byte platform fuels $9B in digital sales and rewrites the restaurant tech stack.Social listening lessons: Cracker Barrel’s backlash vs. KFC’s potato wedge comeback.Drone delivery’s tipping point—new FAA rules, Texas rollouts, pizza robots in LA, and the Ghost Kitchen 3.0 vision.The power and peril of inf...
2025-08-1845 min
The Digital RestaurantWhy does Yum want to own the tech stack - with guest host Cijoy OlickalSend us a textCarl welcomes guest host Cijoy Olickal, a restaurant tech expert, to break down key industry trends.🔹 2025 Restaurant Industry Outlook – $1.5T in sales, shifting consumer habits, tech’s impact on profitability, and labor challenges. Articles One, Two, and Three🔹 Yum! Brands' Tech Strategy – Is building a proprietary tech stack the right move for a global franchise? Articles One and Two🔹 Wonder’s Expansion – Mark Lore’s meal kit & marketplace strategy—how does it compare to DoorDash and Uber Eats? Articles...
2025-02-1733 min
Food Tech Talk: Supply Chain Insights From Farm to ForkThe Future of Restaurant Delivery with Meredith SandlandIn this episode of Food Tech Talk, Lydia Adams speaks with Meredith Sandland about transforming restaurant delivery through technology and dedicated delivery fleets. Drawing from her experience at Taco Bell, Kitchen United, and now as CEO of Empowered Delivery, Meredith explains why the current third-party delivery model creates food safety risks and quality challenges.Meredith discusses how restaurants spend significant resources on food safety throughout their supply chain but lose control at the delivery stage. She explains Empowered Delivery's approach to solving this through dedicated on-demand fleets and AI-powered timing systems that ensure food reaches customers quickly and...
2025-01-2129 min
Women in Restaurant LeadershipMeredith Sandland on the Future of Food, Digital Restaurants, and Building Empower DeliveryIn this episode, I sit down with Meredith Sandland, author of Delivering The Digital Restaurant and founder of Empower Delivery, to discuss the transformative shift in how Americans consume food. Meredith shares her career journey, pivotal lessons learned along the way, and her passion for leading change in the restaurant and delivery industries.We dive into:🍴 How food consumption patterns are evolving in the U.S.📖 The inspiration behind her book and the hardest part of writing it🚀 The challenges and triumphs of founding Empower Delivery📦 What’s next for third-part...
2024-11-2629 min
The Restaurant Technology Guys Podcast brought to you by Custom Business SolutionsReimagining Restaurant Delivery: Insights from Meredith SandlandIn this episode of the Restaurant Technology Guys podcast, the hosts welcome back Meredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery. Meredith offers insights into the evolution of restaurant technology and the importance of efficient delivery systems. She discusses how her company, Empower Delivery, spun out from ClusterTruck, aims to streamline the delivery process for restaurants by offering an end-to-end order fulfillment system. The conversation delves into the challenges of third-party delivery services, the importance of first-party delivery to control guest experiences, and the concept of using gig workers as in-house delivery drivers. Meredith also shares her perspectives on the current...
2024-09-0935 min
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore1112: Meredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery and Author of Delivering the Digital RestaurantMeredith Sandland is the CEO of Empower Delivery and the co-author of 2 books, Delivering The Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap To The Future Of Food , and Delivering The Digital Restaurant: The Path to Digital Maturity, both co-authored with Carl Osbourne. Prior to co-authoring those books, Meredith spent two decades in consulting, corporate strategy, and restaurant development. After Building 1,000+ restaurants the Chief Development Officer at Yum! Brands’ Taco Bell, Meredith observed that the on-demand economy was starting to affect restaurants. Meredith joined ghost kitchen start-up, Kitchen United as employee #4 to create their business model, raise initial capital, and serve as the pub...
2024-08-261h 43
The Business of JoyEpisode 20: Meredith SandlandMeredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery. Meredith has truly mastered the trifecta: tech, logistics, and joy! She shares her unlikely journey to the restaurant industry, her passion for solving complex problems, her unique perspective towards technology and its role in the restaurant experience, and so much more. Restaurants have always been one of my favorite topics, and Meredith is of the top voices in the industry. Let's dig in.
2024-08-2033 min
Choppin’ It Up by Bloomberg IntelligenceUS Restaurant Delivery Is In Need of a MakeoverIt is becoming clear that delivery in the US isn’t working for anyone, Empower Delivery CEO Meredith Sandland, tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Sandland sits down with BI’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss why consumers, restaurant owners and drivers are unhappy with the current state of delivery and what can be done to improve the experience for all parties. She also comments on the state of ghost kitchens and Amazon.com’s decision to take a bigger stake in GrubHub and add GrubHub+ to its Prime membersh...
2024-07-0832 min
Category VisionariesMeredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery: $6 Million Raised to Power the Future of Food Delivery For RestaurantsWelcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Meredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery, a restaurant tech company that has raised $6 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Unique Founding Story: Empower Delivery is a spin-out from Clustertruck, the largest and most profitable delivery kitchen in the US, providing an innovative restaurant order-to-fulfillment platform.
Industry Insights: The restaurant industry is late to the digitization journey, unlike sectors like travel and retail. Empower Delivery of...
2024-06-2626 minCategory VisionariesMeredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery: $6 Million Raised to Power the Future of Food Delivery For RestaurantsWelcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Meredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery, a restaurant tech company that has raised $6 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Unique Founding Story: Empower Delivery is a spin-out from Clustertruck, the largest and most profitable delivery kitchen in the US, providing an innovative restaurant order-to-fulfillment platform.
Industry Insights: The restaurant industry is late to the digitization journey, unlike sectors like travel and retail. Empower Delivery of...
2024-06-2626 min
Restaurants Reinvented: Putting Growth Back on the MenuThe Straight Talk on Data: Best of SoundbitesWelcome to Part 2 in our "Best of" Series. This episode doubles down on data (not for) dummies as we explore the transformative power of data in the connected restaurant. Our esteemed guests dive into all aspects of data beyond the numbers⸺specifically, its strategic role in driving innovation from the kitchen to the customer experience.Top takeaways include: How API ecosystems impact data collection and strategies Innovative approaches for data storytelling Presenting the data … Is the dashboard dead?!The skinny on data lakes, data models, and analyzing data in flow Challenges and techniques for managing l...
2024-04-2728 min
The Digital RestaurantThe Restaurant of the Future - A Panel at Cornell UniversitySend us a textIn a recent captivating episode, industry visionaries Carl Orsbourn, Meredith Sandland, Dan Londono, and moderator Kristen Hawley dove deep into the transformative wave sweeping across the restaurant and hospitality sector. Amidst a backdrop of relentless change propelled by digital innovation, consumer preferences, and the global pandemic, the panel explored how the landscape of dining and food delivery is evolving.The episode, rich in insights, began with an emphasis on the pressing need for adaptation within the restaurant industry. Facing new cost pressures, shifting business models, and an ever-growing demand for technological...
2024-03-151h 13
Wisking it allFrom Kitchen Management to Delivery with Empower Delivery's Full-Scale SolutionAbout this Episode:
Meredith Sandland, CEO of Empowered Delivery, discusses the benefits of their end-to-end order fulfillment system and how it enables restaurants to have their own 1099 fleet of gig workers. She shares her background in the restaurant industry and how her experiences led her to start Empowered Delivery. Meredith also talks about her books, 'Delivering the Digital Restaurant' and 'The Path to Digital Maturity', which provide insights and strategies for restaurants to navigate the digital landscape. She emphasizes the importance of optimizing presence on third-party platforms and creating a seamless first-party ordering experience. Meredith also discusses...
2024-01-0951 min
The Local Marketing LabData-driven decisions for boosting your local marketing with Carl OrsbournIn this episode of The Local Marketing Lab, we have an illuminating discussion with Carl Orsbourn, co-founder and COO of Juicer and author of the “Delivering the Digital Restaurant” book series. With over 25 years of experience crunching data and driving optimizations for restaurants, Carl provides invaluable insights on data-driven decisions for boosting your local marketing, fostering digital hospitality, and developing thoughtful digital strategies.Here are some topics discussed in the episode related to data-driven decisions:Analyze transaction data patterns at each location to uncover opportunitiesOptimize your Google presence for local SEO through contentRespond quickly and authentically to onli...
2023-11-2225 min
ForktalesCarl Orsbourn / COO and Co-Founder of JUICERJUICER is bringing dynamic pricing to the restaurant industry. Together with their customers who operate more than 4,000 restaurants across the globe, JUICER is applying machine learning algorithms to help restaurants optimize their digital menu pricing. Carl is also the co-author of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant,” a book that explores the world of off premise food and the massive disruption facing American restaurants through first-hand accounts of restaurateurs, food industry veterans, and start up entrepreneurs.Dynamic pricing in the restaurant industry can mean lowering prices to increase traffic during slow hours, increasing prices for specific menu items...
2023-07-2743 min
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack OatesTaking Digitalization Seriously With Meredith Sandland & Carl OrsbournSend us a textOn this week's edition of Give An Ovation, Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland join us for another forward thinking and innovative episode. With the publication of their second book in the Delivering The Digital Restaurant series, The Path to Digital Maturity, Carl and Meredith impress the importance of taking your tech seriously. From interface to optimization, their expertise within the digital space is far reaching!On this episode, you'll learn from Carl and Meredith about:Is third party for you?Tech resolving off-prem issuesInternal processes that aid digital channelsMore!...
2023-06-2044 min
Restaurants Reinvented: Putting Growth Back on the MenuThe Path to Digital MaturityTwo-time authors, Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, join Restaurants Reinvented for the second time!Hear their predictions about the next big restaurant concept > the digitally native restaurant and key snips from their new book “The Path to Digital Maturity.” Moments to listen for:The key phases in the path to digital maturityHow to better drive first-party data ownershipThe next new concept category to hit restaurants SVB's influence on the startup tech sceneImproving efficiency through AIInnovative approaches to off-prem dining through ghost kitchensRelated Episodes:Delivering the Digital Restaurant – Meredith...
2023-05-261h 00
The Restaurant Coach PodcastEpisode 116 – Digital Maturity is the Way with Meredith Sandland and Carl OrsbournWelcome to The Restaurant Coach Podcast, it is the cure for the common restaurant. Change. Weather you like it or not it’s happening. Most people don’t like change and long for the good old days…but the good old days weren’t always so good of your honest with yourself. Today I want to talk to you about two words: digital maturity. As we all know, the restaurant industry is highly competitive, and those who don’t adapt to the ever-changing landscape will be left behind. So let’s dive right into these the reasons why digital maturity is...
2023-04-2754 min
Corner Booth PodcastEpisode 60: Meredith Sandland & Carl OrsbournIn this episode, we welcome back previous Corner Booth guest Meredith Sandland, along with her publishing partner Carl Orsbourn. Sandland, a former executive with Yum Brands/Taco Bell joined forces with United Kitchens executive Orsbourn to educate restaurant operators on how to succeed at digital marketing, operations, and customer service. As co-authors of the best-selling "Delivering the Digital Restaurant", they share best-practices advice from their second book "Path to Digital Maturity."
Says Orsbourn, "There are tips and tricks that set the foundation for building a mature guest digital experience," which, Sandland adds, can "increase guest s...
2023-04-2555 min
The Tech Chef, Restaurant, Hospitality and Hotel Technology Business PodcastThe Digital Restaurant with Carl Orsbourn & Meredith SandlandJoining the show today are two individuals who I am sure you have seen all over social media and at conferences if your business is restaurants and technology. Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland join the show to talk about their new book, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant; The Path to Digital Maturity.” This falls on the heels of the must have book from last year, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food.”Meredith Sandland is the CEO of Empower Delivery, a software company that enables restaurants to profitably and sustainably serve off-premise demand. Meredith met with every ma...
2023-04-1130 min
Restaurant Rockstars Podcast337. Restaurant Strategy Shifts in The Digital Era - Carl Orsbourn and Meredith SandlandI coach my clients all the time to stop running a restaurant and start running a business.
You can either have a restaurant strategy or keep putting out daily fires. Having a strategy is pro-active and moves your business forward.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, I am speaking with restaurant strategy experts Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland.
Listen as Carl and Meredith coach us on:
- What many operators are missing in their restaurant strategy
- A new approach to your business post-pandemic
- Building on pivots restaurants have had to execute.
- Being a pro-active strategist no...
2023-04-071h 08
Hospitality Hangout | Expert Strategies & Industry Trends from Hospitality InsidersDelivering the Digital Restaurant Part 2 | Season 8, Vol. 28In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” chat with the authors of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: The Path to Digital Maturity,” Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn. Sandland, co-author of two books, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant, Your Roadmap to the Future of Food”, as well as the new one “Delivering the Digital Restaurant, The Path to Digital Maturity.” Sandland says, “My background, I was at Taco Bell for many years, leading development there and building lots and lots of Taco Bells and started to wonder, why are we building all th...
2023-04-0452 min
The Restaurant Technology Guys Podcast brought to you by Custom Business SolutionsDelivering the Digital RestaurantJoin second time guests Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn where we talk about the practical application of delivery, digital ordering, and the tools all restaurants need to be thinking about when going to a digital channel. Delivering - The Digital Restaurant explores the world of off-premise food and the massive disruption facing American restaurants through first-hand accounts of restaurateurs, food industry veterans, and start-up entrepreneurs.Restaurateurs are experiencing a similar level of disruption to what retailers faced 20 years ago with the birth of mainstream e-commerce. Changing demographics, social interactions, new digital capabilities & expectations, omnichannel fulfillment networks, and a thirst...
2023-03-2740 min
RESTAURANT STRATEGYDigitizing Your Restaurant with Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland#223 - Digitizing Your Restaurant with Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland
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This week's episode is brought to you by: POPMENU
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2023-03-271h 09
ForktalesMeredith Sandland / CEO of Empower Delivery & Digital Restaurant DynamoMeredith is the CEO of Empower Delivery. The company’s software combines the consumer journey, the product journey, and the logistics journey into one integrated piece of software. The software enables all restaurants to profitably and sustainably serve the growing consumer demand for delivered meals.Meredith is also the co-author of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant,” a book that explores the world of off-premise food and the massive disruption facing American restaurants through first-hand accounts of restaurateurs, food industry veterans and start-up entrepreneurs.Many restaurants face complexity in the number of tools and apps they use to man...
2023-03-0639 min
VigorMeredith Sandland / CEO of Empower Delivery & Digital Restaurant DynamoThe 2008 recession sped the disruption of the retail industry and the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the digital disruption of restaurants. Meredith Sandland understands that disruption – and why it’s a good thing – better than anyone.
In this episode of Forktales, we chat with Meredith about the restaurant tech revolution, eliminating complexity in restaurant operations and how “Delivering the Digital Restaurant” is actually a whole lot easier than most people think.
2023-03-0639 min
ForktalesMeredith Sandland / CEO of Empower Delivery & Digital Restaurant DynamoMeredith is the CEO of Empower Delivery. The company’s software combines the consumer journey, the product journey, and the logistics journey into one integrated piece of software. The software enables all restaurants to profitably and sustainably serve the growing consumer demand for delivered meals.Meredith is also the co-author of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant,” a book that explores the world of off-premise food and the massive disruption facing American restaurants through first-hand accounts of restaurateurs, food industry veterans and start-up entrepreneurs.Many restaurants face complexity in the number of tools and apps they use to man...
2023-03-0639 minForktalesMeredith Sandland / CEO of Empower Delivery & Digital Restaurant DynamoMeredith is the CEO of Empower Delivery. The company’s software combines the consumer journey, the product journey, and the logistics journey into one integrated piece of software. The software enables all restaurants to profitably and sustainably serve the growing consumer demand for delivered meals.Meredith is also the co-author of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant,” a book that explores the world of off-premise food and the massive disruption facing American restaurants through first-hand accounts of restaurateurs, food industry veterans and start-up entrepreneurs.Many restaurants face complexity in the number of tools and apps they use to man...
2023-03-0639 min
Steal From the BestCarl Orsbourn & Meredith Sandland - Authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant - Technology Leaders Disrupting the Restaurant BusinessCarl Orsbourn is a global retail executive and board member whose experience spans blue-chip companies, disruptive start-up ventures (Juicer Pricing & Kitchen United), and restaurants (Alfa Co). Carl has been recognized as a power player by Nations Restaurant News and Business Insider for his thought leadership in supporting restaurants to adapt to the challenges and opportunities offered through digitization, technology, and automation. Meredith Sandland has created and driven disruptive growth at both Fortune 100 and start-up companies. She has spent a decade navigating changing consumer demands and restaurant real estate environments. Meridith is the CEO of Empower Delivery, a SaaS...
2023-02-151h 06
Restaurant InfluencersMeredith Sandland of Empower Delivery on the Steps to Digital MaturityMeredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery, is one of those people with a knack for creating positive change. In layman’s terms, her company helps simplify complex ordering processes to make them more efficient. Listen now to learn about the tie that binds moving parts in a business, overcoming customer friction, and the follow-up to Delivering the Digital Restaurant. Sponsored by: Toast: All-In-1 Restaurant POS — https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Atmosphere: TV for Your Business — bit.ly/3Mbc2TZ
2023-02-1451 minRestaurant InfluencersMeredith Sandland of Empower Delivery on the Steps to Digital MaturityMeredith Sandland, CEO of Empower Delivery, is one of those people with a knack for creating positive change. In layman’s terms, her company helps simplify complex ordering processes to make them more efficient. Listen now to learn about the tie that binds moving parts in a business, overcoming customer friction, and the follow-up to Delivering the Digital Restaurant. Sponsored by: Toast: All-In-1 Restaurant POS — https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Atmosphere: TV for Your Business — bit.ly/3Mbc2TZ
2023-02-1451 min
Closed MondayDigitizing Your RestaurantIn this episode, I'm joined by Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, authors of Delivering The Digital Restaurant, and we uncover the importance of digitizing your restaurant in 2023 for increased efficiency, enhanced customer experience, and access to valuable data. We delve into the latest technologies available for the food industry, including online ordering systems, digital menus, and online reservation platforms.
This video serves as a comprehensive guide for restaurant owners and managers looking to optimize their businesses.
Click here to buy your copy of Delivering The Digital Restaurant
🍽 Pick up my "One Page Business Plan...
2023-02-1052 min
Roundtable TalkMeredith Sandland / CEO of Empower Delivery & Digital Restaurant DynamoThe 2008 recession sped the disruption of the retail industry and the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the digital disruption of restaurants. Meredith Sandland understands that disruption – and why it’s a good thing – better than anyone. In this episode of Forktales, we chat with Meredith about the restaurant tech revolution, eliminating complexity in restaurant operations and how “Delivering the Digital Restaurant” is actually a whole lot easier than most people think.
2023-02-1039 min
Tech BitesDelivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of FoodThe rate of restaurant tech evolution seems to get faster and faster, with consumers adopting new behaviors and desires with every new app they download. How can restaurants keep up with market demands and use tech to make their business more efficient and profitable? On this episode of Tech Bites, host Jennifer Leuzzi talks to Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, the authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant. Using first- hand accounts of food industry veterans and start-up entrepreneurs innovating the future of food, the book explores the massive disruption facing American restaurants today and a roadmap to successfully navigate...
2022-11-0253 min
Food on DemandA conversation with Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn about all things off-premises and their new book coming out in 2023In the 29th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Jared interview Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant, about their next book coming soon. They also cover the Kroger-Albertsons mega merger and Reef hitting a municipal snag in Texas and Pennsylvania.
2022-10-2757 min
Restaurants Reinvented: Putting Growth Back on the MenuMaking Technology Invisible in Your Restaurant with Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu (Part 1 of 3)In this 3-part mini-series, Jen interviews the CEO of Qu, Amir Hudda. We reflect on the past 2 years of sweeping industry changes and how we can collectively innovate to create a more sustainable and profitable future for restaurants. Technology is just one piece of that puzzle, but a larger one than ever before. Jen and Amir explore the historically tense relationship between restaurants & technology - and how to make it less “friction-filled” - in this short and educational segment.Quotable Highlights: Margins, not people, have challenged the industry when it comes to adop...
2022-09-1018 min
The Restaurant Expert Round-UpEp. 122 – Meredith Sandland and Carl OrsbournIt's Episode 122 of the Restaurant Expert Round-up. In this episode we're chatting with Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, the authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant. We're going to DIG DEEP into TWO TOPICS today: 1st - How the future will make delivery work better for everyone 2nd - The changing consumer – why delivery is here to stay Meredith's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredith-sandland Carl's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carlorsbourn Website: www.deliveringthedigitalrestaurant.com
2022-06-2427 min
Hospitality Hangout | Expert Strategies & Industry Trends from Hospitality InsidersDelivering the Digital Restaurant | Season 7, Vol. 6: Meredith Sandland & Carl OrsbournIn the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, Authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food, to discuss their new book, ghost kitchens and how to win at off-premise.Sandland talks about her background in the industry. She shares that she has spent over 10 years in the space, initially at Taco Bell, where she worked on brand turnaround, and then in real estate development. As she continued to scale the brand and opened locations in more...
2022-06-1451 min
DeliveringMore# 16, Delivering the Digital Restaurant & Meet The Team with Mitch KeimAnother action-packed DeliveringMore podcast for episode 16!
We have the authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant, Carl and Meredith, providing great insights into their food background and the time spent writing this book. To close things out, we have another Meet The Team segment with the Director of Dispatch, Mitch Keim. Mitch gives us some stories on his time out in Phoenix, as well as DeliverThat's office culture.
Episode 16 Intro (0:08)
Delivering the Digital Restaurant Interview (2:23)
Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland Interview Recap (48:43)
Mitch Keim Meet the Team (49:50) Closi...
2022-05-091h 01
The Main CourseCreating the Roadmap for the Digital RestaurantThe omnichannel experience that first wreaked havoc with the retail industry quickly began to make its impact on the restaurant industry even before the pandemic. The disruption caused by the pandemic accelerated this trend requiring restaurant owners of national chains and family-run businesses as well as every restaurant version in between to adapt or die.Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland worked together at Kitchen United, a ghost kitchen headquartered in Pasadena, CA in the early days of the company still in its start-up phase. Osbourn had formerly worked in the convenience retail world for 15 years at BP...
2022-04-1148 minThe Main CourseCreating the Roadmap for the Digital RestaurantThe omnichannel experience that first wreaked havoc with the retail industry quickly began to make its impact on the restaurant industry even before the pandemic. The disruption caused by the pandemic accelerated this trend requiring restaurant owners of national chains and family-run businesses as well as every restaurant version in between to adapt or die.Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland worked together at Kitchen United, a ghost kitchen headquartered in Pasadena, CA in the early days of the company still in its start-up phase. Osbourn had formerly worked in the convenience retail world for 15 years at BP...
2022-04-1148 min
Build Better with Anastasia BarnesThe Emergence of Ghost Kitchens and the Future of Restaurant DesignOn season 2, episode 14 of the Build Better Podcast, Anastasia welcomes Meredith Sandland, co-author of the book, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant.” Previously, she served as the chief development officer at Taco Bell, and as the COO of Kitchen United. Sandland has created and driven disruptive growth at both Fortune 100 and start-up companies, and has spent a decade navigating changing consumer demands and real estate environments for restaurants. She shares more about the recent shifts in consumer behavior, and how the emergence of ghost kitchens and other methods of food delivery are impacting the restaurant industry.
2022-04-0427 min
Top Business Leaders Show[SpotOn Series] Upgrading Your Restaurant’s Digital StrategyCarl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland are Co-authors of the book Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food. They're also the Co-founders of Learn.Delivery, a website dedicated to helping food and beverage executives optimize their off-premise businesses and succeed in the digital economy. Carl has extensive global experience implementing product strategies, change, and innovation in retail, virtual restaurant, and digital food-related environments. Previously, he was Head of Retail at BP and the Vice President of Operations at Kitchen United. Meredith spent two decades as a consultant for corporate strategy and restaurant...
2022-03-0934 min
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack OatesDelivering the Digital Restaurant with Carl Orsbourn and Meredith SandlandSend us a textMeredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn are the authors of the Amazon #1 Best-selling book, "Delivering the Digital Restaurant". Meredith comes with experience at Bain & Company, Yum! Brands, and Kitchen United. Carl has previously worked as the Head of Retail at bp, VP of Operations at Kitchen United, and Managing Director at People's California. We are excited to share their insights!On this episode, Meredith, Carl, and Zack discuss: How restaurants can win in the coming yearsHow societal changes affect restaurantsConsumers are driving change, not VC/techWhat it's like to co-author a bo...
2022-01-1726 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - January 10, 2022Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories.
Articles mentioned:Half of US consumers now using meal delivery says Bloomberg’s Second Measure
Dispatch Goods received $3.7m in funding this week and they’re a packaging company with a difference.
Sweetgreen are helping us get our new year’s resolutions off to a good start with their new subscription service
2022-01-1014 min
FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry RevolutionEpisode 166: Making Delivery Work: Carl Orsbourn & Meredith Sandland of Delivering the Digital RestaurantWithout question, one of the foundational elements of our industry's future is food delivery. But, almost two years into the delivery revolution, many of us are still struggling with execution and profitability. But what if there was a roadmap that could guide us toward success?
Today we chat with Carl Orsbourn & Meredith Sandland, authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant. Together, we tackle the big ideas in the book and offer some actionable advice on how you can capitalize on the massive demand out there for food delivery.
TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:30] Building the...
2021-12-3132 min
Table 21 presented by Piecemeal#16 - Table 21 with Carl Orsbourn & Meredith SandlandExcited to receive the authors of the book "Delivering The Digital Restaurant", an important subject as the industry evolves and adapts to the current environment. Come listen to them as we discuss and shed light on some important topics for restaurant operators going into 2022 and beyond.Meredith Sandland spent two decades in consulting, corporatestrategy, and restaurant development. After building 1000+ restaurantsas the Chief Development Officer at Yum! Brands’ Taco Bell, Meredithobserved that the on-demand economy was starting to affect restaurants.Meredith joined ghost kitchen start-up Kitchen United as employee #4 tocreate th...
2021-12-281h 02
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - December 27, 2021In our final Monday Minute podcast of the year, Meredith and Carl discussed their forecast for 2022 based on their readings from a plethora of industry insiders and executives shaping the change ahead. Here’s their take on the changes that affect the key 10 stakeholder groups within the industry.
Article References:
Restaurant Industry Outlook For 2022: Five Trends To Watch
7 Restaurant Back-of-the-house Predictions for 2022
- Better tech integration- Clocking enforcement- Increased focus on wellness- More reliance on mobile- Training, resources, updates,- Adoption of res...
2021-12-2723 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - December 20, 2021Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories. Articles mentioned in the video:
Big time of year for catering and Christmas parties. So timely perhaps that Softbank are investing again in our space and this time with catering through EzCater and a $100m round. Things looking up for catering?
Burger Fi are pioneering the in-car ordering channel. Sounds pretty convenient? What’s happening here?
Olo & Lyft announced a partnership this week opening up a...
2021-12-2012 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - December 13, 2021Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories.
Articles mentioned in the video:
Restaurant menu price inflation hit a 39-year high in November. What does this mean for restaurants?
Miso Robotics has raised $37m and its done it through crowd-funding. What do you think about this approach and their potential?
Doordash are trying 15 minute delivery and full time drivers - and then Getir are coming to these shores too. Who are they and...
2021-12-1312 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - December 06, 2021Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories.
Articles mentioned in the video:
The Wall St Journal reported this week some restaurants may be switching off 3rd parties. What’s your take?
7-Eleven are piloting delivery via robotics-powered vehicles. What’s happening here?
Two thirds of Gen Z believe current food systems are ‘destroying the planet’ according to a recent EU survey. What do you think this means for us all?Agfunder NewsF...
2021-12-0611 min
Restaurant Rockstars Podcast272. Restaurant Technology to Prosper Post Pandemic - Meredith Sandland and Carl OrsbournThe pandemic has permanently changed the restaurant landscape and the way we must do business in the future.
As restaurateurs, we must stay relevant to our consumer and consistently deliver convenience, value, quality and service.
Countless businesses and successful companies that once dominated their industries and didn’t evolve, no longer exist. Don’t let this happen to your operation.
In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, industry veterans and co-authors of the new book “Delivering the Digital Restaurant, the Roadmap to the Future of Food” and cofounders of Learn.Delivery.
...
2021-12-0359 minCorner Booth PodcastEpisode 32: Meredith SandlandJoin us for a fascinating interview with Meredith Sandland, coauthor of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food.” Meredith, a former Yum Brands/Taco Bell and Kitchen United executive, joined forces with her United Kitchen colleague Carl Orsbourn to pen this best-selling tome. They artfully explore the current disruption facing American restaurants through first-hand accounts of restaurateurs, food industry veterans and start-up entrepreneurs.
A detailed, insightful and lively read, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant” is, indeed, a roadmap for independent restaurant operators hoping to successfully navigate the future of the business. In fact, helping independen...
2021-11-3051 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - November 29, 2021Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories.
Articles mentioned in the video:
Goldbelly - the artisanal food marketplace is launching a TV channel
Fat Brand continues its acquisition spree
Hubspot released a 68 page Social Media Trends report for 2022. In it touches on how TikTok is a growing force
Jack in the Box Invests in Robotics to Curb Labor Issues. Limited operating hours due to staffing hurt comps by 3 percent
2021-11-2912 min
RESTAURANT STRATEGYINTERVIEW with Carl Orsbourn & Meredith Sandland, Co-Authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant#142 - INTERVIEW with Carl Orsbourn & Meredith Sandland
This week's episode is also sponsored by STOCK MFG.
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*****
Carl and Meredith have written a book that is both limely and timeless. Delivering the Digital Restaurant track...
2021-11-2950 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - November 22, 2021Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories.
Articles mentioned in the video:
Panera’s new next generation cafe’s are 20% smaller on the inside
Epic Kitchens - a hybrid between a ghost kitchen and fast casual
Sorting out tips got easier for many of Toast’s customers through a new feature called Tip Manager announced this week
Startup Daily Harvest reaches unicorn status with $1.1 billion valuation
Why the bigges...
2021-11-2212 minRestaurants Reinvented: Putting Growth Back on the MenuDelivering the Digital Restaurant - Meredith Sandland & Carl Orsbourn of Learn DeliveryHear what these two digital restaurant savants and best-selling authors, Meredith Sandland & Carl Orsbourn, have to say about the future of the restaurant industry and what possible challenges restaurant operators may face during the digital age. Our guests had the idea to write their book, Delivering the Digital Restaurant, as they ''want the industry to survive this big omnichannel shift. And to do that, they need some tools and a group discussion to talk about how to navigate this"!Moments to Listen For:• The 2 Sides of Al...
2021-11-1642 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - November 15, 2021Today's episode is live from The Bellagio - Las Vegas!
We attended the Food On Demand Conference 2021 - an annual event where we discuss the trends in restaurant industry’s premier off-premises and delivery aspect. The event was full of great people, insights and another showing of plethora of technology solutions helping restaurant owners master off-premise.#FODC2021 is the largest and most concentrated gathering of experts in the foodservice market.
Take a look at #FODC2021.
2021-11-1510 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - November 08, 2021Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories.
Articles mentioned in the video:Coca-Cola Research Reveals What Guests Want Post-COVID:
Autonomous delivery startup Nuro raises $600M at reported $8.6B valuation:
Ghost Kitchens and Virtual Brands: What Do Customers Think?:
McDonald's powers up 'Friendsgaming' livestream with FaZe Clan to unite gamers:
Amazon Fresh stores gaining a 'core group' of shoppers, traffic data shows:
2021-11-0812 min
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore842: Delivering the Digital Restaurant with Meredith Sandland With excitement allow me to introduce to you today’s guest, Meredith Sandland. Prior to co-authoring Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food, Meredith spent two decades in consulting, corporate strategy, and restaurant development. After Building 1,000+ restaurants the Chief Development Officer at Yum! Brands’ Taco Bell, Meredith observed that the on-demand economy was starting to affect restaurants. Meredith joined ghost kitchen start-up, Kitchen United as employee #4 to create their business model, raise initial capital, and serve as the public face of the Google Venture-backed disruptor. Check out the book: Delivering The Digi...
2021-11-041h 50Food on DemandEpisode 20: Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, authors of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant” + Food On Demand Conference 2021In the 20th episode of the Food On Demand Podcast, hosts Tom and Nick give a brief preview of this year’s Food On Demand Conference, and interview Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, authors of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant,” about delivery providers diversifying their offerings, the convergence of the grocery and restaurants, and how these changes will show themselves in the build form of suburbia.
2021-11-0240 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - November 01, 2021Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories.Articles mentioned in the video:
Uber and Carre Four: https://reut.rs/3btXVHC
Sweetgreen's S1: https://bit.ly/3mt0b8p
Virtual Dining concepts raises $20m: https://bit.ly/3br99N6
Reef in hot water in NYC: https://bit.ly/2XZIXpZ
Technomic’s 2022 predictions: https://bit.ly/
2021-11-0112 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - October 25th 2021Articles mentioned in the video:
Outdoor Dining Allowances
Wearables savings back at Pepsi
Olo buys Wisely.
Buffalo Wild Wings is testing a wing-making robot
How are QSRs designing for off-premise?
2021-10-2510 min
Digital HospitalityDigital Restaurants and the Future of Food | Authors Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn | DH119Delivering the Digital Restaurant teaches how to build a successful digital restaurant business that will survive and thrive into the future. Authors Meredith Sandland (@meresandland) and Carl Orsbourn (@carlorsbourn) were guests on the Digital Hospitality podcast to discuss what they learned while writing their must-read restaurant business book, Delivering the Digital Restaurant Your Roadmap to […]
2021-10-2143 min
The Guest Getter PodcastDelivering the Digital Restaurant with Meredith Sandland and Carl OsbournRestaurants: The Plucky Underdogs of the Digital World… Today we’re diving into how restaurants can slingshot themselves forward through cutting-edge digital technologies with Meredith Sandland…
2021-10-1934 minThe Guest Getter PodcastDelivering the Digital Restaurant with Meredith Sandland and Carl OsbournRestaurants: The Plucky Underdogs of the Digital World… Today we’re diving into how restaurants can slingshot themselves forward through cutting-edge digital technologies with Meredith Sandland…
2021-10-1934 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - October 18th 2021Wendy’s get into AI
Doordash sponsored listings
QR code cookbooks
Grocery steers loyalty away from Instacart
Uber acquires Drizly
2021-10-1810 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - October 11th 2021Check out our thoughts and views on the world of restaurants, technology, and off-premise food in our round-up of some of last week's hot news stories.
Two NY acquisitions caught our eye this week.
Kitchen United with Zuul: https://bit.ly/3mCO3kk
Reef with Bond: https://bit.ly/2YJZGxH
Our upcoming Amazon book launch: https://lnkd.in/gtw33fx5
All Day Kitchens raised $65m in funding: https://bit.ly/3mFVNSv
Raising Cane’s corporate staff working in restaurants:
https://bit.ly/3BILLGJ
QSR fe...
2021-10-1109 min
Monday MinuteMonday Minute - October 4th 2021AB626 recently passed in California and what that mean for home cooks in California?
Independents struggling more than chains Amazon Prime & Deliveroo team up for free deliveries
800 degrees have been in the news teaming up with Reef in a 500 unit expansion
Eye-tracking your online menu usage
2021-10-0411 min
The Pre-ShiftDelivering the Digital Restaurant | Carl Orsbourn & Meredith Sandland | 009This episode was originally published as part of the Restaurant Growth Podcast. It has been rebranded as part of The Pre-Shift Podcast as of January 2023. The information presented may no longer be up-to-date and may differ from the viewpoints and insights currently shared on The Pre-Shift Podcast.For our tenth episode, we welcome the authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant, Carl Osbourn and Meredith Sandland. Delivering The Digital Restaurant explores the world of off premise food and the massive disruption facing American restaurants through first-hand accounts of restaurateurs, food industry veterans, and start up entrepreneurs. We chat a...
2021-09-1729 min
WDCastMeredith Sandland, Restaurant Industry Executive Leader: The Restaurant of the Future is Not (only) a RestaurantIt all started with a good business model, some incredible people, and a cheesy gordita crunch. Meredith Sandland began her unexpected entrance into the restaurant industry as an executive at Taco Bell, then transitioned to work for the ghost kitchen role model: Kitchen United. Her extensive experience in the industry has led Meredith to publish a book, Delivering the Digital Restaurant, where she explores the digitization of the industry and the massive disruption facing American restaurants. (check it out here: https://amzn.to/3iCyfM6) Tune in to hear Meredith and Lee elaborate on ghost kitchens, sociology of consumers, and the...
2021-07-2745 minFood on DemandDelivery, Acquisition, and the Future + Meredith Sandland and Christine BaroneIn 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.
2020-07-2946 min