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Unraveling the saga that has become NextbiteUnraveling the saga that has become Nextbite

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

June 14, 2023

 

SBE Hospitality Group and virtual brand platform C3’s founder and CEO Sam Nazarian has acquired Nextbite, just days after Nation’s Restaurant News reported that Nextbite’s order management arm, Ordermark, had been sold off to Indian software company UrbanPiper. Nextbite and its virtual brands —which includes both original and licensed brands such as Packed Bowls by Wiz Khalifa, Shawarmama, Nestle Toll House Cookies, IHOP, Super Mega Dilla, Thrilled Cheese, Fuku, George Lopez Tacos, and Nathan’s Famous — will live on under the ownership of its former competitor as Nextbite by SBE, but will operate separately from C3’s own virtual brands, which include Umami Burger, Krispy Rice, and Sam's Crispy Chicken. Leadership will pass from CEO Alex Canter — who founded Nextbite in 2020 after merging the then-flourishing virtual restaurant company with technology platform Ordermark — to Nazarian, and operations will be relocated to C3’s headquarters in Miami. According to Food on Demand, a “suite” of former Nextbite executives will stay on board with the company under new ownership.

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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