About 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 the onboarding process for Empowered Delivery and the early customer experiences they have had. In this conversation, Meredith and Angelo also discuss the hidden costs of third-party delivery apps, the impact of technology on the restaurant industry, automation and the future of restaurants, the challenges of technology adoption in the restaurant industry, advice for entrepreneurs in the restaurant space, and the rewards of building successful restaurants.

Takeaways:

• Empowered Delivery is an end-to-end order fulfillment system that enables restaurants to have their own 1099 fleet of gig workers.
• Restaurants should optimize their presence on third-party platforms and create a seamless first-party ordering experience to drive sales and reduce costs.
• The onboarding process for Empowered Delivery involves replacing the POS system and installing touchscreens for back-of-house operations.
• Early customers of Empowered Delivery have provided valuable feedback and have seen improvements in efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Future plans for Empowered Delivery include expanding its customer base and continuing to revolutionize the economics of delivery for restaurants. Third-party delivery apps often have hidden costs, such as menu markups and delivery fees, which can make ordering from them more expensive than ordering directly from the restaurant.
• Technology has reshaped the restaurant industry, with innovations like kiosks and automation in the back of the house. These advancements can help reduce labor costs and improve efficiency.
• The future of restaurants will likely involve more automation and a shift towards electric-based kitchens. This can lead to fewer restaurant jobs, but the ones that remain will be more highly skilled and better paid.
• The restaurant industry is experiencing a proliferation of technology solutions, which can be overwhelming for restaurateurs. It's important to focus on building a comprehensive system that addresses the root causes of problems and eliminates the need for multiple disjointed tools.
• Entrepreneurs in the restaurant space should strive to create a company, not just a feature, and differentiate themselves from existing solutions. It's also crucial to get paying customers as quickly as possible to build credibility and attract talent and investment.
• Building successful restaurants and empowering independent businesses can be rewarding, as it creates jobs, generates wealth for franchisees, and brings happiness to consumers.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Background 01:39 Overview of Empowered Delivery 03:06 From Taco Bell to Empowered Delivery 05:18 Delivering the Digital Restaurant 08:18 The Path to Digital Maturity 09:47 Optimizing Presence on Third-Party Platforms 12:09 Creating a Seamless First-Party Ordering Experience 14:53 Key Criteria for Selecting a First-Party Ordering System 19:03 The Benefits of Empowered Delivery 22:38 Onboarding Process for Empowered Delivery 28:19 Early Customer Experiences 32:49 Future Plans for Empowered Delivery 35:07 The Hidden Costs of Third-Party Delivery Apps 37:30 The Impact of Technology on the Restaurant Industry 39:20 Automation and the Future of Restaurants 41:07 The Challenges of Technology Adoption in the Restaurant Industry 44:30 Advice for Entrepreneurs in the Restaurant Space 48:55 The Rewards of Building Successful Restaurants