Restauranteurs,

Is Disrupting the Intersection of Restaurants and Last Mile Logistics

DeliveryFirst is a food delivery service that was created by restaurant people for restaurant people with the central idea being to save restaurants money on delivery and providing professional service and support for on demand and all catering needs. Many of the Chicago areas most iconic restaurants and local chains have already partnered with this exciting team. While deliveries took off during the pandemic, DeliveryFirst grew rapidly. When founder Anthony Gambino realized how order generation and catering platforms charged high percentage fees that hurt restaurant profitability.

DeliveryFirst aims to forge meaningful local partnerships, backed by a team of 200+, and growing, drivers, and a responsive management team. Many of the original drivers joined as the restaurants they worked with switched to DeliveryFirst, and most of them are still with the company. Unlike larger companies, DeliveryFirst concentrates on three distinct differences:

1. Their drivers are all employees, not gig workers, DeliveryFirst employs, trains, & insures its drivers. They provide drivers with hourly wages, tips, 401K, and health insurance options, and workman's comp.

2. DeliveryFirst charges a flat fee, sparing restaurants from raising prices to cover delivery costs and enabling more predictability than the 20-30% fees charged by the larger order generation platforms. DeliveryFirst also allows the restaurant to set their own delivery fee, meaning the restaurant can cover as much of the delivery fee as they care to.

3. DeliveryFirst will deliver any order the restaurant receives whether by phone, via the restaurant’s own online platform, or even a third party generated order. DeliveryFirst does not need to generate the order to take the delivery!

"Our goal is to be your local delivery partner," said Sean Hennessy, President at DeliveryFirst. "We are not a nameless or faceless organization. We are looking to form meaningful local partnerships."

DeliveryFirst serves most of suburban Chicago and is quickly growing into the city. DeliveryFirst has a dedicated team experienced in navigating restaurant tech, enabling digital transformation and integrations with multiple POS systems. It’s exciting for the small restaurant operator to have an alternative that can save them money, and Deliver better experiences with a local Chicagoland company.

– You can find DeliveryFirst in our directory under “Third-Party Delivery Service”.

$305M

Beverage Plant Planned

A unit of beverage company Yakult Honsha is planning a second US plant, a $305 million facility in Cartersville, Ga., according to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office. No construction timeline has been given, but Yakult expects production to begin in about three years.

Skippy peanut butter varieties are now certified vegan by the Vegan Awareness Foundation . Vegancertified variations include creamy and Super Chunk in regular and natural varieties, as well as squeeze packs and no-sugar-added spreads.

Chicago-Based Wow Bao Celebrates 20th Anniversary

It’s the 20th anniversary of Wow Bao, the leading fast-casual Asian food concept . What began as a 384 square-foot kiosk in Chicago’s Water Tower Place is now a tech-savvy, omni-channel brand that can be found throughout the U.S. and Canada in Virtual Restaurants, airports, universities, hotels, grocery stores (both fresh and frozen), e-commerce sites, and even hot-food vending machines. Additionally, Wow Bao is now in more than 3,000 Walmart’s nationwide.

“It has been exciting to see Wow Bao grow from a little kiosk at Water Tower Place back in 2003 into a national brand,” said Rich Melman, founder and chairman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE). “The Wow Bao team has done a stellar job protecting the integrity and quality of our product as it continues to innovate.”

In a timeline of delicious firsts, Wow Bao has always been ahead of the curve, but its venture into the Virtual Restaurant vertical in 2019 set the brand up for unprecedented growth. In January 2020, Wow Bao launched its first Dark Kitchen, as they were known at the time. That March, Covid-19 shut down inperson dining across the country and since then, Wow Bao has grown to include over 700 Virtual Restaurants.

“Wow Bao started as a small idea that has become quite a bit more,” said Kevin Brown, CEO of LEYE. “Under the leadership of Geoff Alexander and his team, it is not only traditionally delicious and versatile Asian food, but it has evolved into a nationally recognized brand. I look forward to seeing what’s in store over the next 20 years.”

Alexander, President and CEO of Wow Bao and Managing Partner of LEYE, took the reins in 2009 and was responsible for a series of technology advances, as well as growing the brand beyond its initial Chicago storefronts. While still affiliated with LEYE, Chicago based Valor Equity Partners now holds a majority stake in Wow Bao.

Twenty Five Wisconsin cheese and dairy companies earned honors at the 2023 American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging and Competition in Des Moines, Iowa. “Wisconsin Cheeses have won more than 7,300 awards, more than any other state or country, bringing home an additional 86 at the American Cheese Society Judging & Competition in Des Moines, Iowa.”

Shortly after Alexander began his Wow Bao tenure, the brand became one of the first industry adopters of self-ordering kiosks at all their locations. This quickly grew check average and reduced labor costs.

“Evolution and innovation have always been the priority,” said Alexander. “Every business, whether its food-related or not, has got to adapt, grow, and improve. The team and I are constantly looking at ways to improve our menu offerings, our employee benefits, and our technology. By focusing on these facets, Wow Bao’s opportunities become boundless, and our diners get wow’d each time they experience us.”

This year, the launch of Digital CollectaBaos and the Hot Buns Club further cemented Wow Bao as a leader in restaurant technology. With this innovation, it became the first Virtual Restaurant brand to successfully use web3 technology to combine an existing rewards program with a full-service loyalty program. In honor of Wow Bao’s 20th anniversary, diners can order from wowbao.com beginning August 1st and receive a complimentary CollectaBao with any $25 purchase. This provides exclusive access to the Hot Buns Club benefits through December 31, 2023, which includes 10% off wowbao.com orders, 10% off Wow Bao merchandise, double Bao Bucks points, chances to win additional CollectaBaos, free meals and more.