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.
E-scooter company Lime is gearing up to launch an IPO after raising $523 million in debt financing. CEO Wayne Ting joined Cheddar to talk about the decision behind the future public offering citing the fundraise as a sign of investor confidence, despite a massive drop-off in ridership amid the pandemic. He noted that some of the funds will not only be used to pay down debts but to also upgrade the company's fleet of e-bikes and scooters. "We're going to be investing $20 million of this funding towards our mission to get to net-zero on carbon by 2030," he said.
Weekly grocery delivery startup MilkRun raised $6 million in Series A funding on Friday, and Julia Niiro, CEO and founder, joined Cheddar to discuss what distinguishes MilkRun's grocery delivery model from the competition, explaining the service connects customers with local farmers being able to provide items not found in the typical stores. Niiro also talked about the impact that supply chain bottlenecks have had on the business. "This was a moment when people needed local food production," she said of MilkRun seizing the opportunity to expand to other markets amid the global food distribution issues.
With vaccinated international travelers being admitted into the United States, the service and hospitality industry could experience a boom. John Geller, president of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, joined Cheddar to talk about the gradual increase in stays at Marriott properties and noted that occupancy has reached near pre-pandemic levels. Regarding the holiday season, he said, "people love to travel, so I wouldn't be surprised if, in most of our resorts, we're not pushing close to a high 90 percent occupancy."
The pandemic caused chaos in the wedding industry after ceremonies were postponed last year. But now couples face a new problem as they look toward their big day: supply chain issues. Tim Chi, CEO at The Knot, joined Cheddar to provide some additional details about the supply constraints affecting everything from venues to flowers. Chi also talked about The Knot celebrating its 25th anniversary and how the business has transformed over the years.
Elon Musk asked Twitter if he should sell about $20 billion worth of his Tesla stock and about 58 percent of those who answered said yes. The Tesla CEO pledged to abide by the results of the poll, whichever way it went. Arun Sundararajan, NYU Stern professor & author of "The Sharing Economy: The End of Employment and the Rise of Crowd-Based Capitalism," joined Cheddar to discuss what the Twitter poll says about America's attitude towards billionaires and the nation's tax system.
David Ewalt, Editor in Chief of Gizmodo, joins 'Fast Forward' to paint a picture of what a metaverse-driven future looks like, and how it will propel the future of work and education.
Hyperlocal social networking platform Nextdoor made its public debut on the NYSE via a SPAC merger with Khosla Ventures Acquisition Co. II on Monday. CEO Sarah Friar joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to talk about what drove the company to a public offering and growing the platform on a global scale. "This allows us to not go back after investing and growing the neighborhood," Friar said. She also talked about the app's pandemic success and the fact that people have stuck around as businesses reopened on a larger scale.
