Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland, contributors to Nation’s Restaurant News’ Speakerbox byline series and authors of the books “Delivering the Digital Restaurant” and “The Path to Digital Maturity,” joined NRN live at our recent CREATE Experience in Palm Springs, recording episodes for their podcast The Digital Restaurant.
In the next episode — the seventh of eight bonus episodes where they explore with special guests each chapter of “The Path to Digital Maturity” — Orsbourn and Sandland interview Mario Del Pero, co-creator of Mendocino Farms and now a partner with DOM Food Group, to talk about digitally native restaurant brands, his unique perspective on the future of the restaurant industry, the importance of understanding your target audience, creating a craveable menu, and more.
Del Pero talks about the significance of a kitchen designed for off-premises and virtual orders and how to navigate the complex virtual kitchen space. He also discusses the food delivery revolution and the ever critical topic of sustainability in the restaurant industry. You'll hear his take on creating a delivery-friendly healthy menu that maintains freshness and flavor, even after a 45-minute journey. Then the conversation dives into the influence of Whole Foods Market and the significance of health and sustainability in the industry.
Stream the episode below. For more episodes in the series, click on the below links:
- Episode 1: How to be found on DoorDash
- Episode 2: Converting fans through first-party channels
- Episode 3: Mastering the art of data
- Episode 4: Optimizing your store throughput
- Episode 5: Exploring the potential of virtual brands
- Episode 6: Merging hospitality with digital integration
AUTHOR BIO
Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn are co-authors of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food” and “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: The Path to Digital Maturity.” After each spent 20-plus years in corporate strategy and retail food, Meredith and Carl each concluded that food in America was changing. They left their corporate jobs in search of innovation that would transform the restaurant industry. Ghost kitchens, virtual brands, digital marketing, the gig economy and lean operations are at the heart of the future they envision. Carl is the COO of Juicer, a restaurant dynamic pricing company. Meredith is the CEO of Empower Delivery, software that powers delivery-centric kitchens. Subscribe to their newsletter and podcast at deliveringthedigitalrestaurant.com.