It was an interesting year in the world of food and drink.\u00a0 3D-printed foods are gaining traction. Vermont became the first state to require GMO labels. Greens and gluten-free diets are going mainstream. Consumers are demanding more transparency on food labels.<\/p>\n
Here are some novel entrepreneurs.\u00a0 While working in San Francisco’s financial district one day in 2012, Jason Wang and his colleagues found themselves craving Ikes Place sandwiches for lunch. Problem was, Ikes doesn\u2019t deliver and the trip across town and back would have taken a couple of hours. \u201cWe asked ourselves, why can’t the good restaurants deliver?” Wang, recalls. “Why is it the mediocre and generic pizza, Thai, Indian restaurants on every single delivery website?” With this thought, Caviar was born: A premium food delivery service that brings a city’s best cuisine to your doorstep for a flat fee of $4.99. Wang\u2019s site was acquired by Jack Dorsey’s Square for $90 million last August.<\/p>\n
Apoorva Mehta is also disrupting the industry with his tech platform and business model, Instacart. Founded in 2012, it is fastest-growing grocery delivery service ever, beating out Webvan and Amazon Fresh. The app allows shoppers to order groceries \u2014 from supermarkets like Kroger’s KR -0.54%, Whole Foods and Costco (no membership required). Deliveries typically come in less than half an hour.<\/p>\n
One advantage of Mehta\u2019s business model is not having set aside funds for warehouse rentals, maintenance costs, delivery trucks, and full-time manual labor. Most of Instacart\u2019s runners (a.k.a. \u201cgreen men\u201d) are locals.\u00a0 It\u2019s a prime example of how efficient the sharing economy model can be.<\/p>\n
If booze-delivery is more your type, look no further than the Drizly boys. Founders Nicholas Rellas and Justin Robinson, both 25, decided to focus on something as simple as an app that delivers alcohol. Since the company\u2019s inception in 2012, Drizly has worked with over 150 retailers to deliver beer, wine and liquor to consumers and businesses.<\/p>\n
Other standouts include Marianne Barnes, WoodFord Reserve\u2019s Master Taster. Despite having no background in spirits of any kind, Barnes is bucking industry conventions and making her own path. She puts her chemical engineering degree to use every day on the job, relying on science to craft her bourbon, and is the chosen prot\u00e9g\u00e9 to become WoodFord\u2019s next Master Distiller.<\/p>\n
Momofuku Ss\u00e4m Bar Executive Chef Matthew Rudofker has been running the kitchen since he was 25, when he held the title of Chef de Cuisine. After just one year of operations, the place has picked up clients like Grant Achatz, Jose Garces, Eataly N.Y.C. and Eataly Chicago and even Moet Hennessey.<\/p>\n
At wearable tech maker Jawbone, 26-year-old Laura Borel is Head of Nutrition. The Stanford graduate led the food release, bringing simple and intuitive eating advice to millions Jawbone users. \u201cIn a world where most people say eating healthy is more complex than doing their taxes,\u201d says Laura, \u201csimplicity is the way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was an interesting year in the world of food and drink.\u00a0 3D-printed foods are gaining traction. Vermont became the first state to require GMO labels. Greens and gluten-free diets are going mainstream. Consumers are demanding more transparency on food … Continue reading ![\"Food](\"http:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Food-Entrepreneurs-300x184.jpg\")
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