The eighth annual Food on Demand Conference held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas brought together important restaurant and foodservice players in tech, delivery, catering, and mobile ordering. It was an opportunity for speakers and panelists to share insights on innovation, operations, and other emerging trends in the foodservice industry. Here are my key takeaways.
Partners Want “Professional Athletes” to Deliver
The first day of the conference featured the ezCater Catering Growth Forum, moderated by ezCater’s Senior UX Research Manager, Roman Kyle. Speakers emphasized the critical role of operational efficiency in corporate food delivery.
While there’s no shortage of on-demand food delivery platforms, operational efficiency and consistency separate the best from the rest. From United Airlines to Deloitte and Celonis, the operational efficiency that ensures their employees get fed successfully and on time is non-negotiable. As United Airlines’ Yamanda Stephanie puts it, they’re looking for “professional athletes”—restaurant partners who perform at the highest level, every time.
Deloitte emphasized that when a delivery is expected within a 15-minute window, for instance, they expect clear, real-time communication if any delays arise—transparency is non-negotiable. That level of consistency builds trust and keeps operations running smoothly. With an annual spend of $5 million in the Houston office alone, these corporate orders represent a high-value, stable revenue stream for restaurant partners.
Hybrid Delivery Is Becoming the New Standard
Another major takeaway is the growing acceptability of the hybrid delivery model. Uber Direct, Papa John’s, Portillo’s, Condado Tacos, and City BBQ use or have used the hybrid delivery model that combines in-house delivery with third-party delivery options to varying degrees. This was especially encouraging for us at FULFLLD, as it validates a critical need we’ve already been solving. We’ve built a hybrid delivery software that helps partners effortlessly switch between first-party and third-party delivery, offering them the flexibility to scale while maintaining control where it matters most.
AI and Autonomous Delivery as Game Changers
Artificial intelligence and autonomous delivery will play pivotal roles in the evolution of the foodservice space for years to come. Adam Brotman and Andy Sack’s keynote speech on how companies can stay AI-first in the current business climate was quite insightful. Sack noted that “AI is that unlock. It allows you to operate at internet speed and be ‘fast as shit’ executives.”
Specific use cases shared during the session showed just how far AI has come and how quickly it can impact operations. Teams are increasingly applying micro solutions, automated workflows, and complex AI applications to speed up decision-making. The most striking example for me was how a team turned a sales call transcript from a 300-location café into a board-ready, eight-slide strategy presentation, complete with clear action points, within just two hours.
Leon Davoyan, CTO at Dave’s Hot Chicken, spoke about their continuous testing of AI, from voice ordering systems to other backend tools. But for all the tech, he stressed one non-negotiable: if the guest experience isn’t exceptional, they pull the plug. He also noted the value of hybrid service models, observing how guests interact with kiosks but still appreciate the option of a human cashier.
Autonomous Vehicles as Game Changers
On the delivery front, autonomous technology from companies like Serve Robotics and Wing is poised to reduce costs and increase speed. As infrastructure and public trust grow, robotic and drone deliveries are expected to become a regular part of the foodservice ecosystem, helping restaurants meet demand even amid labor shortages. Companies like Wing are already seeing improved economics, moving from one pilot per drone to ratios as high as one per 50 in some regions.
Discussions around the topic focused on misconceptions, such as job displacement and limited market size, and how, in reality, these technologies fill critical gaps in human driver supply while unlocking new operational efficiencies.
“A lot of drivers don’t want small orders because they don’t pay as much, but those orders still need to be delivered. That’s why I don’t think drones and robots are taking human jobs. These are orders that drivers don’t want.” - Michael Boyan, director of digital operations at Shake Shack.
Meanwhile, Serve Robotics continues to break new ground in robot delivery. To date, Serve Robotics has more than 20,000 deliveries with an impressive 99% fulfillment rate. The company recently secured another $86 million in funding to improve last-mile logistics. This brings the total funding to $220 million since it became an independent company in 2021. Describing the unique allure of robots delivering food, the COO of Serve Robotics said, “The robots are cute. They’re like if Wall-E and a Minion had a baby.”
Data Remains the Backbone of Smart Growth
Brands like Potbelly and Saucy by KFC emphasized the competitive edge that comes from truly knowing their customers. Saucy, in particular, is thriving by taking a tech-first approach, so much so that it's already seeing higher demand than some traditional KFC models. Dog Haus’s EVP of Marketing, CJ Ramirez, echoed this, noting how insights from third-party delivery data allow them to better understand customer preferences and refine their offerings.
Catering Is Underrated
While most restaurants focus heavily on day-to-day delivery orders, several speakers highlighted how catering remains an untapped growth channel. Condado Tacos shared that catering is significantly less saturated and competitive than the regular delivery space, making it a high-margin opportunity for those who get it right. Brands that optimize operations for catering delivery service will have a significant advantage in capturing larger, more predictable revenue streams. This includes understanding the specific needs of catering clients, such as reliable delivery to often complex locations, flexible timeframes, and the ability to handle large and potentially customized orders.
City BBQ has already proven that success at scale is possible. They’ve built a catering program with over one million members by investing in operational structure, including a dedicated catering sales force and local catering managers in every market. They stressed that delivering early can be just as disruptive as delivering late, so tight process control and communication are essential.
This is similar to sentiments echoed by enterprise customers like Deloitte and United Airlines, who reward consistency and preparedness. In their world, food delivery isn’t just a convenience; it’s a high-stakes part of keeping employees productive and clients impressed.
Communication and Transparency Reigns Supreme
The importance of proactive communication has never been lost on us at FULFLLD, so it came as no surprise that many panelists identified questions such as 'Where is my order?' and 'Why is it late?' as the most common sources of customer dissatisfaction. It is clear that restaurants and food businesses offering delivery must prioritize workflows that make proactive communication with customers effortless.
For example, a live tracking feature that gives customers real-time updates about the location of their order potentially eliminates the need for them to ask at all. FULFLLD’s delivery management software fully incorporates this feature. It enables restaurants to keep customers informed at every step without adding operational burden to staff.
Bold Claims on the Future of 3rd-Party Delivery
Checkmate led a forward-looking panel that brought together leaders from brands like Dave’s Hot Chicken, Big Chicken, and East Coast Subs to discuss how aligning marketing, tech, and ops is key to dominating in the digital space.
Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken, made a bold prediction: the future of third-party delivery might not lie in traditional apps, but in video games like Fortnite. As younger consumers continue to demand frictionless convenience, he sees a shift toward platforms where they already spend their time.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, Food on Demand 2025 was a great experience for me as a founder. The conversations were insightful, the challenges discussed were real, and the energy around innovation was exciting! I left feeling encouraged by how many operators are ready to evolve and excited about the role FULFLLD can play in that transformation.
Ready to scale smarter? Book a call to optimize your delivery operations.
Levy Yakubov, CEO of FULFLLD