Latest news with #ezCater
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Novo offers Wegovy at $199 for first month as copycats end
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up LEADERSHIP Advertisement Boston firm ezCater has a new CEO, but he's staying in New York New ezCater CEO Nihad Rahman will remain in New York, with frequent visits to Boston. Photo courtesy of ezCater The tryout apparently paid off for Nihad Rahman, who has served as interim chief executive at Boston-based online catering marketplace ezCater since his predecessor abruptly left about five months ago. The company announced this week that Rahman can strip the 'interim' off his title: The board appointed Rahman, who left JPMorgan Chase to join ezCater as its chief financial officer in 2022, as the new CEO. However, he won't be moving to Boston for the gig. Rahman took over after Ashwin Raj left the company in January. Now that Rahman is no longer CFO, the company promoted vice president Sean Stanton to take over that job. Rahman lives in New York, and will continue to work remotely, though a spokesperson said he visits ezCater's downtown Boston headquarters frequently. He'll lead a team of more than 850 employees; the spokesperson said ezCater is a 'remote-hybrid company' and has workers spread throughout the country. The company gives employers access to a marketplace of more than 100,000 restaurants nationwide for meals as well as catering for meetings and events. Its investors include a mix of venture capital and private equity firms such as Insight Partners, Iconiq, Lightspeed, GIC, SoftBank, Quadrille, and TPG. — JON CHESTO Advertisement AVIATION Southwest Airlines to tighten restrictions on portable batteries on flights A Southwest Airlines plane pulled into a gate at Pittsburgh International Airport on March 27. Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press Southwest Airlines will prohibit passengers from using portable batteries to charge devices while they are inside bags because of the fire risk, the airline said Wednesday. Southwest is the first of the four biggest US airlines to tell passengers that they are not permitted to use portable lithium batteries while they are in a bag. Air carriers in Asia have been tightening restrictions on the batteries in recent months. The new rule requires passengers to keep the batteries visible while in use and will take effect on Southwest flights Wednesday. The rule will help flight attendants act more quickly if a battery overheats or catches fire, Southwest said in a statement. The airline said that it was responding to 'multiple incident reports' involving batteries on flights across carriers. In March, crew members on a Southwest flight reported a battery fire after landing at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which was investigating the episode. The FAA has reported 22 incidents of lithium batteries catching fire, emitting smoke or overheating on aircraft this year. — NEW YORK TIMES Advertisement HOUSING Trump floats a public offering for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Freddie Mac headquarters in McLean, Va. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg President Trump said that he's giving 'very serious consideration to bringing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public' after more than a decade of government control. 'Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are doing very well, throwing off a lot of CASH, and the time would seem to be right,' Trump wrote late Wednesday on his Truth Social platform. 'Stay tuned!' He added that he would consult with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Freddie and Fannie. Shares of Fannie soared 51 percent for their strongest performance since August 2009, while Freddie jumped 42 percent for its best day since September 2019. The companies, which play a crucial role in the market for mortgage-backed securities, have been under government conservatorship since the 2008 financial crisis. Fannie and Freddie have both returned to steady profitability, with earnings being retained. — BLOOMBERG NEWS CURRENCY End of the penny grows near Freshly made pennies in a bin at the US Mint in Denver. David Zalubowski/Associated Press The Treasury Department is winding down the production of pennies, after ordering a last batch of the blanks used to print the coins this month. The end of penny production, reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, comes a few months after President Trump ordered the Treasury Department to stop producing them as a cost-saving measure, pointing out that pennies have long been more expensive to manufacture than they are worth. Pennies, which are made up of 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper plating, cost about 3.69 cents to make, according to Treasury Department statistics, which show the price of production skyrocketed over the last decade. Ten years ago, it cost 1.3 cents to manufacture each penny. In the 2024 fiscal year alone, the cost of production rose by over 20 percent. The US Mint will keep manufacturing pennies until its supply of blanks runs out, a Treasury spokesperson said Thursday. The Mint has estimated that ceasing production of the penny will save the taxpayers an annual $56 million in reduced material costs. The Treasury forecasts that there will be additional savings once the facilities used to produce pennies are converted for other purposes. The penny had been falling out of favor for years, and as it became less popular, the Mint scaled down its production. Penny production has fallen fairly steadily in the past decade, from over 9.36 billion coins made in 2015 to just over 3.22 billion last year. There are still about 114 billion pennies in circulation, according to the Treasury. But eventually, once production ceases, there will not be enough of them in circulation to facilitate day-to-day transactions, meaning businesses that deal in cash may have to round prices to the nearest nickel. — NEW YORK TIMES Advertisement TECH Microsoft fires employee who interrupted CEO's speech to protest AI tech for Israeli military Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Wash. JOVELLE TAMAYO/NYT Microsoft has fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the company's work supplying the Israeli military with technology used for the war in Gaza. Software engineer Joe Lopez could be heard shouting at Nadella in the opening minutes Monday of the tech giant's annual Build developer conference in Seattle before getting escorted out of the room. Lopez later sent a mass email to colleagues disputing the company's claims about how its Azure cloud computing platform is used in Gaza. Lopez's outburst was the first of several pro-Palestinian disruptions at the event that drew thousands of software developers to the Seattle Convention Center. At least three talks by executives were disrupted, the company even briefly cut the audio of one livestreamed event. Protesters also gathered outside the venue. Microsoft has previously fired employees who protested company events over its work in Israel, including at its 50th anniversary party in April. Microsoft acknowledged last week that it provided AI services to the Israeli military for the war in Gaza but said it had found no evidence to date that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. — ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ezCater Appoints Nihad Rahman as CEO
Former VP of Financial Planning & Analysis Sean Stanton named CFO BOSTON, May 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ezCater, the #1 food tech platform for workplaces in the US, today announced that interim CEO Nihad Rahman has been appointed as CEO and will join the company's Board of Directors. Sean Stanton, ezCater's VP of Financial Planning & Analysis, has been named CFO. The appointments are effective immediately and are powerful signals of the company's sustained growth and the strength of the current executive leadership team. "Nihad is the right leader for ezCater as the company continues to scale to be the food technology provider of choice for every enterprise," said ezCater Chair of the Board of Directors Chris Cuddy. "We cast a wide net in our search, and the board unanimously chose Nihad. His performance in the interim role proved he has what it takes to lead ezCater and its people. We are confident that he will continue to steer the company to success in the years ahead." Rahman has served as ezCater's CFO since 2022, before taking on additional responsibilities as interim CEO in January 2025. Prior to joining ezCater, Rahman held a series of leadership positions with JPMorganChase and General Electric. "When I joined ezCater in 2022, I fell in love with every aspect of this company," said Rahman. "Now stepping into the CEO role, I'm honored to lead our dedicated team and transform a fundamental aspect for workplace productivity and collaboration: food." ezCater has also promoted VP of FP&A Sean Stanton to CFO. Stanton, who joined ezCater in 2018, brings deep experience in FP&A across technology and e-commerce. As ezCater's first FP&A hire, he has been instrumental in developing the company's financial strategy and supporting its rapid growth. Before joining ezCater, Stanton held finance roles at edX, Bain & Company and Avid Technology. "Having been with ezCater through many stages of growth, I'm thrilled to step into the CFO role where I can shape the financial strategy to support our continued growth trajectory," noted Stanton. "Like Nihad, I am passionate about this company's potential to make an impact for our customers, our partners, our employees, and our investors." About ezCaterezCater is the #1 food tech platform for workplaces in the US. The company makes it easy for any organization to manage its food needs and order from over 100,000 restaurants nationwide. For workplaces, ezCater provides flexible and scalable solutions for everything from recurring employee meals to one-off meetings, all backed by beyond helpful 24/7 service and business-grade reliability. For restaurant partners, ezCater helps grow their business by bringing them more orders and new high-value customers. To learn more, visit View source version on Contacts Media: Jennie HardinVP, Brand and
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New ezCater Data Highlights Workplace Food as a Key Growth Driver for Restaurants
94% of operators believe large, off-premise orders drive incremental revenue to their business LAS VEGAS & BOSTON, May 05, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ezCater, the #1 food tech platform for workplaces in the US, today released new data about the workplace food opportunity at its 2025 Catering Growth Forum during the Food on Demand Conference. The findings, based on ezCater order data and survey insights from over 2,300 workplace food stakeholders, show workplace food as a significant and growing revenue opportunity for restaurants. The market for workplace food is expanding as businesses order restaurant food more and more, and introduce employee meal programs, sometimes as a cafeteria replacement. In fact, 43% of organizations surveyed have a recurring meal program in place, up 17% from 2024. "Workplace catering has always been a big opportunity for restaurants, but now it's bigger than ever," said Cindy Klein Roche, Chief Marketing Officer, ezCater. "Organizations are ordering for more occasions and bringing in food from local restaurants on a programmatic, recurring basis. Restaurants have a tremendous opportunity to tap into new revenue streams by embracing the evolving role of food in the workplace." Additional ezCater survey insights on the workplace food opportunity include: Workplace food is a powerful marketing engine: 70% of employees who first try a restaurant through an employer-provided meal personally ordered from that restaurant outside of work, a 49% increase compared to last year. Bigger budgets, larger orders: 60% of orderers plan to spend more on workplace food in 2025, with nearly a third expecting budget increases of 25% or more. This is reflected in ezCater's orders as well, with average order value up 12% to $420, and average headcount up 9% to 25. Great for workplaces means great for restaurants: As organizations recognize the value of food in the workplace, the opportunity for restaurants increases. Employees save on average 30 minutes of their workday when meals are provided and 68% report feeling more productive. "Business catering has proven to be a powerful engine for growth, allowing us to connect with a significant number of new customers we might not otherwise reach," said Sara Kear, Chief Marketing Officer, Condado Tacos. "It now represents a substantial portion of our overall catering sales volume and has become an invaluable vehicle for expanding our reach." In today's competitive restaurant landscape, brands with established catering programs have a clear advantage. ezCater's survey found that restaurants with catering programs experienced a 5.1% increase in overall revenue from 2023 to 2024, outpacing the 3.3% average revenue growth rate for restaurants and bars reported by Technomic. Restaurants and businesses of all types, from Dave's Hot Chicken to Crumbl, are capitalizing on the growing workplace food opportunity. For restaurants looking to grow revenue streams and take advantage of this expanding market, visit MethodologyThe 2025 "Feeding the Workplace" report is based on surveys conducted in January, 2025 with over 2,300 participants, including 604 corporate catering orderers, 669 restaurant operators, and 1,042 employees. Proprietary ezCater data gathered from millions of transactions across thousands of restaurant partners was also analyzed. About ezCaterezCater is the #1 food tech platform for workplaces in the US. The company makes it easy for any organization to manage its food needs and order from over 100,000 restaurants nationwide. For workplaces, ezCater provides flexible and scalable solutions for everything from recurring employee meals to one-off meetings, all backed by beyond helpful 24/7 service and business-grade reliability. For restaurant partners, ezCater helps grow their business by bringing them more orders and new high-value customers. To learn more, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Liciê LeiteSr. PR
Business Wire
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
New ezCater Data Highlights Workplace Food as a Key Growth Driver for Restaurants
LAS VEGAS & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ezCater, the #1 food tech platform for workplaces in the US, today released new data about the workplace food opportunity at its 2025 Catering Growth Forum during the Food on Demand Conference. The findings, based on ezCater order data and survey insights from over 2,300 workplace food stakeholders, show workplace food as a significant and growing revenue opportunity for restaurants. "Workplace catering has always been a big opportunity for restaurants, but now it's bigger than ever." Share The market for workplace food is expanding as businesses order restaurant food more and more, and introduce employee meal programs, sometimes as a cafeteria replacement. In fact, 43% of organizations surveyed have a recurring meal program in place, up 17% from 2024. "Workplace catering has always been a big opportunity for restaurants, but now it's bigger than ever," said Cindy Klein Roche, Chief Marketing Officer, ezCater. 'Organizations are ordering for more occasions and bringing in food from local restaurants on a programmatic, recurring basis. Restaurants have a tremendous opportunity to tap into new revenue streams by embracing the evolving role of food in the workplace.' Additional ezCater survey insights on the workplace food opportunity include: Workplace food is a powerful marketing engine: 70% of employees who first try a restaurant through an employer-provided meal personally ordered from that restaurant outside of work, a 49% increase compared to last year. 70% of employees who first try a restaurant through an employer-provided meal personally ordered from that restaurant outside of work, a 49% increase compared to last year. Bigger budgets, larger orders: 60% of orderers plan to spend more on workplace food in 2025, with nearly a third expecting budget increases of 25% or more. This is reflected in ezCater's orders as well, with average order value up 12% to $420, and average headcount up 9% to 25. 60% of orderers plan to spend more on workplace food in 2025, with nearly a third expecting budget increases of 25% or more. This is reflected in ezCater's orders as well, with average order value up 12% to $420, and average headcount up 9% to 25. Great for workplaces means great for restaurants: As organizations recognize the value of food in the workplace, the opportunity for restaurants increases. Employees save on average 30 minutes of their workday when meals are provided and 68% report feeling more productive. "Business catering has proven to be a powerful engine for growth, allowing us to connect with a significant number of new customers we might not otherwise reach,' said Sara Kear, Chief Marketing Officer, Condado Tacos. 'It now represents a substantial portion of our overall catering sales volume and has become an invaluable vehicle for expanding our reach.' In today's competitive restaurant landscape, brands with established catering programs have a clear advantage. ezCater's survey found that restaurants with catering programs experienced a 5.1% increase in overall revenue from 2023 to 2024, outpacing the 3.3% average revenue growth rate for restaurants and bars reported by Technomic. Restaurants and businesses of all types, from Dave's Hot Chicken to Crumbl, are capitalizing on the growing workplace food opportunity. For restaurants looking to grow revenue streams and take advantage of this expanding market, visit Methodology The 2025 'Feeding the Workplace' report is based on surveys conducted in January, 2025 with over 2,300 participants, including 604 corporate catering orderers, 669 restaurant operators, and 1,042 employees. Proprietary ezCater data gathered from millions of transactions across thousands of restaurant partners was also analyzed. About ezCater ezCater is the #1 food tech platform for workplaces in the US. The company makes it easy for any organization to manage its food needs and order from over 100,000 restaurants nationwide. For workplaces, ezCater provides flexible and scalable solutions for everything from recurring employee meals to one-off meetings, all backed by beyond helpful 24/7 service and business-grade reliability. For restaurant partners, ezCater helps grow their business by bringing them more orders and new high-value customers. To learn more, visit
