Weekly Roundup – Week of 3.27.2023
March 31, 2023
Explore this week’s trending food and beverage-related stories in our weekly roundup – curated by our team of strategists and food enthusiasts:
ChatGPT Now Recommends Restaurants
As part of a newly launched plugin with OpenTable, ChatGPT Plus subscribers can now receive restaurant recommendations and book through OpenTable. Consumers are able to ask questions such as “What restaurants in Milwaukee are offering Easter brunch that would accommodate a group of 8?” The OpenAI chatbot will offer recommendations to help subscribers select a restaurant to book a reservation. “The plugin leverages the same information that powers OpenTable’s search such as restaurants’ profile information, tags, availability, and reviews,” said a spokesperson from OpenTable. ChatGPT lets users connect on a deeper level by not only providing recommendations, but also sharing availability status, and reserving a table directly. Get The Story.
Electrification Is Changing The Convenience Store Model
As electric vehicle purchases continue to grow and locations for charging EVs are broadening (think home, retailers, and independent charging stations) convenience stores are becoming less of a destination for fill-ups. C-store operators are reviewing their current business models and considering a world where transportation energy matters less. C-STOREDIVE takes a look at how a few c-stores are finding success in rethinking convenience in non-fuel-dependent locations. Urban Value Corner Store, for example, has locations near high-density residential buildings and offers a tailored product mix based on the purchase behavior of its customers. Another example is Godega, a quant c-store where customers can sit and enjoy a sandwich or a cup of coffee along with shopping from a curated mix of grab ‘n go and groceries items. Read Article.
Plant-Based WunderEgg Grabbing Attention During Egg Shortage
Will WunderEgg help offset the volatile egg supply challenges and the soaring prices that come along with it? Crafty Counter sure hopes so. After launching WunderEgg, a plant-based hard-boiled egg substitute, the brand has received an outpouring of praise from consumers. After years of trial-and-error experiments, the company found an ideal ingredient mix, primarily tree nuts and legumes. WunderEgg founder, Hema Reddy, says this plant-based option looks and tastes similar to their chicken-produced counterparts. Look for WunderEgg at Whole Foods locations and decide for yourself. Read More.
Increased Digital Ordering Behaviors Link To Increased Automation Efforts
According to Incisiv’s 2023 Connected Restaurant Experience Study, QSRs expect 51% of tasks will be automated while full-service restaurants expect 27% of tasks will be automated by 2025. Operators in these segments are expected to invest in technology to improve and streamline their digital ordering platforms and order fulfillment processes to elevate customer experiences. Per the study, 83% of customers said they planned to use mobile order-ahead at QSRs this year, yet only 52% of QSRs said they are satisfied with the digital channels they offer. By adding technology upgrades such as geofencing, for example, QSR employees will know when to start preparing mobile dine-in orders and curbside pickups. Learn More.
Just For Fun
How do you eat your Oreos? Debates have been going on since, well since the first Oreo hit the market. Do you eat it like a sandwich? Do you pull the Oreo apart and eat it in two halves? And so on. Recently, a Ph.D. candidate in MIT’s mechanical engineering department set out to determine what the perfect twist would be to separate the two halves. The candidate launched a study into how to twist an Oreo to get creme on both sides. She used a rheometer device to twist open 1,000 cookies and opened Oreos by hand to see if different methods provided different results. In four out of five scenarios, the creme stuck to one side. For loyal Oreo lovers, you could conclude that their consensus is it doesn’t take a Ph.D. to figure out the creme typically lands on one side; however, they’re just happy to eat them the way they have since their very first bite.
Omnivore is a proud member of Milwaukee Ad Agencies as a full-service brand and digital strategy agency backed by an experienced team of strategists and creators who help identify compelling points of differentiation for our clients — all to create more meaningful and compelling connections to both today’s operator and consumer customers. Learn more about us.
