Uncategorized

12.9.2014: Caviar Mobile / Reserve

DELIVERY

Caviar (Finally) Has a Mobile App

Square acquired Caviar over the summer in what I still say is a smart move. Caviar, if you’ll recall, is a food delivery service used by restaurants that, for the most part, don’t maintain their own delivery staff. After a few months under Square, the delivery service now has its own mobile app, allowing the hungry masses to order restaurant meals on the go. (Previously, you had to use the web interface.) Is this a big deal? No, not a huge deal, but it’s an important move and positions Caviar next to other food delivery companies, like Seamless, who have been offering in-app ordering for a while. It’s also a reflection of the way we order and eat — when, honestly, is the last time you called a restaurant to place a takeout order? (Flashbacks to college in the early ‘00s for me!)

The new app promises “quick ordering and flawless delivery” which SGTM. It’s also optimized for Apple Pay on the iPhone, which means crazy fast ordering and paying, and also comes with GPS tracking so you can watch your fancy steak’s journey to your home or office. (How awesome will this be when we have self-driving cars? Your steak will drive itself to your house. Ha!)


illustration by April V. Walters
illustration by April V. Walters

 

PRETTY PICTURES

“That Restaurant Is SO Instagram-Worthy”

Are we doing this now? In a recent profile of an admittedly pretty new location of Toby’s Estate CoffeeNew York Magazine deemed the spot “Instagram-worthy” in the headline.

The piece goes on to describe the space, along with pretty (but not square) snapshots of some of the location’s niceties. (They did manage a nice little cappuccino-art shot, at least.) I suppose the funnier thing about this is that we all know exactly what Instagram-worthy means, and if the popularity of a photo-sharing service makes everyday life a little prettier for all of us, who am I to complain?


MOAR DELIVERY

Amazon Restaurant Delivery Debuts Quietly in Seattle

Speaking of local restaurant delivery, Seattle has a new option thanks to delivers-everything-else local company Amazon, which is offering delivery from local restaurants via its Amazon Local site and mobile apps. The Verge noticed the delivery option, and nothing has been formally announced.But does this make you think what I’m thinking?

(Restaurant delivery by drone. Here’s hoping!)


SHOUTOUT

…to Reserve, which just launched in its fourth city, my home of San Francisco. Participating restaurants includeFlour + WaterCentral KitchenKusakabeNamu Gaji, OuterlandsTrou Normand, and a bunch more awesome spots. Reserve launched in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles at the end of October.

It’s a bit different from its other make-a-reservation counterparts; reserve acts as a “concierge” instead. The user selects a date and time range for a particular restaurant (or restaurants), up to 32 days in advance. Submit the request, and Reserve takes care of the rest, from making the reservation to charging your credit card — no check or wallet or even phone necessary. (More details in my original post.)


Digestifs

  • Umm, Harvard Business School professor argues hard over $4 from a Chinese restaurant. Seriously, is this guy for real? — Boston.com
  • Ah, the magic of Twitter. Turns out both Duff Goldman and Graham Elliot used to be in emo bands — The Daily Meal
  • OpenTable has a fresher look. Do you see it yet? — OpenTable

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