Food trucks in the U.S. have taken many forms, but have long been a popular option for dining. Now as the coronavirus pandemic alters the way we interact and engage with others, these kitchens on wheels may have a new function, especially on college campuses.
Rod Keller, CEO of the electric vehicle manufacturer AYRO is jumping at the opportunity to capitalize on the niche industry in a partnership with Gallery Carts. The new collaboration will combine AYRO's expertise in developing electric vehicles with Gallery's expertise in creating food delivery vehicles.
"Colleges are faced with, 'Well how do we provide food and beverage while at the same time, avoiding the mass crowds that you would typically see inside of a cafeteria?'" Keller told Cheddar.
So far, more than $500,000 has been poured into the collaboration as orders for the vehicles continue to amass. Keller said he's confident that as universities and other large campuses seek safer ways to feed their communities amid the pandemic, the need for their services will grow.
AYRO is also banking on buyers in higher education considering the long-term savings electric vehicles can provide. Keller said its electric vehicles save fleet operators at least 50 percent on fuel and energy costs.
"When people are moving cargo from one side of a university to another, or business campus, or hotel and resort, you don't need a full-sized truck with 400 miles of range running on gasoline to do that," Keller said.
Many people are quitting their jobs just to have the flexibility of working from anywhere. A new survey conducted by The Conference Board reveals of those who have quit during the pandemic, 1 in 4 did so for the ability to work remotely. Rebecca Ray, executive vice president of Human Capital at The Conference Board, joined Cheddar to discuss why workplace flexibility is so important to employees, and how companies can better support the desires of their workers.
Chris Willman, Features Editor for Variety, discusses changes within the music industry and how venues can provide a safer environment for concert-goers.
As the U.S. continues to face supply chain shortages, President Joe Biden is reassuring U.S. consumers that the supply chain is in "very strong shape" ahead of the all-important holiday season. As supply bottlenecks start to show signs of improvement, the industry may be faced with yet another challenge: the Omicron variant. Rob Caucci, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Fillogic joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Local Bounti rang the opening bell December 3 in honor of its recent trading debut on the NYSE after closing a $1.1 billion SPAC deal. The company operates an indoor growing facility in Montana and aims to transform the production and delivery of local, fresh and sustainably-grown leafy greens. Craig Hurlbert, co-founder and co-CEO of Local Bounti, joined Cheddar to discuss the company's goals as a newly publicly-traded company.
Markets rebounded Monday morning after Friday's deep sell-off that saw the Dow suffer its worse day since 2020. It comes as investors continue to react to the impact of the omicron variant on the broader reopening. Eddie Ghabour, Co-Owner at the Key Advisors Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Markets bounced back this morning with travel leading the gains after plunging on Monday as the first case of Omicron was detected in the U.S. Jimmy Lee, CEO, Wealth Consulting Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Stephan Winkelmann, president of Bugatti Automobiles and CEO of Lamborghini, stopped by Cheddar to talk about Lamborghini's 2021 success after the luxury automaker set a company sales record on more than 6,9000 vehicles delivered. With climate change top of mind for the auto industry, Winkelmann also talked about Lamborghini's commitment to hybridizing its entire fleet. Still, when it comes to supercars, the legacy brand isn't quite ready to give up gasoline power, and according to the CEO, three new combustion engine vehicles will be available in 2022.
The market saw investors react to comments by the World Health Organization's chief scientist, who suggested existing vaccines are likely to offer protection against the new variant. According to Thomas Hayes, chairman of Great Hill Capital, the next two weeks will be crucial as the markets watch for not only the effects of the Omicron variant, but also the Fed's decision on a taper.
