So far, so good!
Top stories from an already record year for Expedite
In March, I broke a big news story. American Express, parent company of reservations platforms Tock and Resy, cancelled an industry dinner and pulled its support of Noma Los Angeles following allegations of abuse against its head chef. Restaurant tech company Blackbird did, too.
High-end, fine-dining restaurant Noma losing some sponsorships is not the most important angle of this story — but I do believe it is the most consequential. It was also a just-right Expedite story, and I’m proud to have broken this news (and gotten nods in major publications from the New York Times to Food & Wine and beyond.)
That story is, by an order of magnitude, the biggest of the year so far. It’s contributed to record growth in subscriber numbers, pageviews, and even free-to-paid conversions this year. Expedite remains proudly independent (ethics policy here!) and I am also proud of the publication I’ve built.
I’m on vacation this week, so for posterity, here are some links back to more consequential stories as reported in the best newsletter about the future of restaurants.
Thanks, as always, for reading. I couldn’t do it without you.
-Kristen
Amex pulls its Noma LA support
American Express, parent company of reservations services Resy and Tock, is stepping away from its planned involvement in Noma’s Los Angeles residency. A spokesperson for Resy confirmed the move.
Pour one out for Tock
Two years after buying reservations platform Tock for $400 million, American Express is sunsetting the reservations brand to juice its other reservations brand. This summer, the thousands of venues currently on Tock will move to Resy.
Square’s layoffs, AI, and the future
Plenty of tech watchers, including me, were surprised by Block’s huge layoff in late February, axing some 40 percent of its employees. Recent reports suggested that cuts were coming as employees were pushed to use more AI in their daily work. Still, it’s a jarring charge in scale and immediacy from a company that’s long positioned itself as an ally to restaurant entrepreneurs.
What restaurants can learn from airlines about loyalty
Expedite’s peeking into the (near) future this month with a series of interviews covering hot topics changing the business of hospitality. This week: a conversation with airline expert Brian Sumers of
Okay fine I’ll download Beli
Beli, a restaurant-focused social list-saving and -sharing mobile app, is not like other restaurant recommendation apps. This is not just because its leader is loath to share details of its white-hot growth… though she is. And it is definitely not because “everybody eats,” which is also something Beli co-founder and CEO Judy Thelen told me during an onstage interview last week… although we all do.
