At your service
By Sarah Sutton • July 11, 2016
When it comes to foodservice competitors, the limited-service restaurant industry has generally been in a class of its own. Today, though, a new crop of companies is posing a serious threat to traditional restaurant operations. Meal-delivery services—including companies that deliver prepared meals, as well as those that deliver ready-to-cook food kits—are quickly expanding across the U.S. These services threaten to steal market share by conveniently bringing cheap food right to customers’ doors, usually with the press of a smartphone button—and all without hosting a traditional restaurant storefront.