• From Business Insider:
"Starbucks is working with CloudKitchens, the ghost kitchen company run by Uber founder Travis Kalanick, as the coffee giant broadens delivery outside of its traditional stores.
"Mobile ordering and delivery have boosted Starbucks' bottom line and have become an incremental and growing part of the business. Starbucks would not share specifics on the size of its delivery business but has previously said the segment has seen a 20% year-over-year growth."
The story describes the arrangement this way:
"CloudKitchens, which rents small, private kitchen bays that share a reception, offers one solution to delivery growth. The pickup-only facilities allow companies to take advantage of the DoorDash- and UberEats-enabled delivery boom. Brands ranging from Buffalo Wild Wings to Chick-fil-A have signed up with CloudKitchens, which has dozens of live locations in the US and operates internationally under various names.
"Starbucks is building out a kitchen in at least one San Francisco CloudKitchens location, per local permits reviewed by Insider. The site, called Charter Oak Food Pick-Up, sits at the intersection of two major highways, making it convenient for delivery drivers. Other offerings at the converted warehouse include burgers, pancakes, and local ice cream brand Humphry Slocombe."
• From USA Today, a story about how grocery delivery service Instacart "is giving away a new fragrance it hopes makes shoppers green with envy.
"If this smells like a promotional ploy, yes, there's a motive: The fragrance, called Cashé, is meant to draw attention to Instacart's Credit Card, which gives customers 5% back on all of their purchases on Instacart's online grocery service.
