Delivery Places New Demands on Restaurant Data Networks

If the restaurant industry wasn’t tough enough, establishments now have to compete against “virtual” ones.Food delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats are reshaping the industry. It may sound futuristic, but these popular apps feature restaurants that only exist online. No real estate, tables, chairs and waiters. These restaurants prepare meals in a commercial kitchen to serve the growing trend of people, especially millennials, who enjoy the convenience of eating restaurant-quality meals at home. Talk about digital transformation.

The delivery-only business model has attracted some unexpected players. Bon Appetit magazine just launched a virtual restaurant in Chicago in partnership with Grubhub and Lettuce Entertain You, the Chicago-based restaurateur. The menu consists of recipes curated from the magazine and its YouTube channel, such as spicy pork soup and rigatoni with cauliflower bolognese. 

For restaurants to remain competitive in the on-demand age, they have to embrace…