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How the Pandemic Reshaped Restaurants’ ECommerce Business

Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry.   The pandemic has turned many industries upside down, including the restaurant sector. While farsighted restaurants had digital plans on their future roadmaps before…

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Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry.

The pandemic has turned many industries upside down, including the restaurant sector. While farsighted restaurants had digital plans on their future roadmaps before COVID-19 struck, lockdown was a gamechanger. Square, which builds business tools to help sellers of all sizes start, grow, and run their operations, has been instrumental in helping restaurants make the necessary pivot to eCommerce solutions.

“The steady drumbeat of the restaurant industry was that they needed to adapt” – David Rusenko

Barbara Castiglia, Host of The Main Course, was joined by David Rusenko, Head of eCommerce for Square, to talk about the increasing importance of eCommerce in the restaurant world, in no small part due to the coronavirus. “In many ways, the pandemic brought us further into the future, faster,” said Rusenko. When San Francisco issued its first shelter in place mandate, Square was quick to help businesses pivot and rewrite their roadmaps. Rusenko said that within 48 hours, restaurants were able to offer curbside delivery, and within a week, delivery functionality.

Square instituted a full online platform that allows restaurants to have a direct channel to accept orders and transactions online, without paying commissions on the third-party marketplace. It also created a self-serve QR-ordering system that allows customers to split tabs, order their meals, and perhaps another cocktail, all from their phones. In short, these platforms ramped up restaurants’ overall efficiency while attracting customers, creating new experiences, and growing businesses. “The steady drumbeat of the restaurant industry was that they needed to adapt,” he said. “The industry was faced with a dire situation. We wanted to be there and support them as quickly as possible.”

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FDA slows synthetic-dye phase-out as 160 food and ag groups press for USMCA renewal

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  • 01FDA has revised its synthetic dye phase-out schedule, slowing a voluntary removal program originally targeting six petroleum-based color additives by end of 2027.
  • 02Nearly 160 food and agriculture groups have urged USMCA renewal before the July 1 joint review deadline, warning that inaction could disrupt cross-border supply chains.
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FDA slows synthetic-dye phase-out as 160 food and ag groups push to renew USMCA

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The FDA's April 2025 voluntary initiative to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply has generated a wave of corporate commitments, with major brands targeting 2026–2027 deadlines. However, Consumer Reports found that many large food companies have yet to pledge any changes, even where natural alternatives are already used abroad. Meanwhile, broader regulatory shifts — including a USDA reorganization affecting food assistance programs and new legislative proposals on food labeling and import safety — are reshaping the operating environment for food and beverage manufacturers.

  • 01The FDA is working with industry to eliminate six certified petroleum-based color additives from the U.S. food supply by the end of 2027, after revoking authorization for Red No. 3 earlier in 2025.
  • 02A March 2026 Consumer Reports survey found 72 percent of U.S. adults are at least somewhat concerned about synthetic dyes, and 66 percent say companies should be required to phase them out — yet many major brands have made no commitments.
  • 03Separate regulatory pressures are mounting: California advanced a non-ultra-processed food labeling bill, Congress moved bipartisan legislation to let the FDA destroy unsafe food imports, and the USDA reorganized its food nutrition administration amid leadership changes.

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The Produce Distribution Industry Needs Flexibility, Empathy, and a New Generation of Talent

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Produce distributors are facing tightening margins and supply chain pressures that demand more flexible operations and empathetic leadership. AJ Krow argues that attracting and retaining a new generation of talent is critical to the industry's long-term survival. Modernizing workplace culture and rethinking traditional distribution practices are central to meeting these challenges.

  • 01Produce distributors must adapt operations to withstand tightening margins and supply chain volatility.
  • 02Empathetic leadership and flexible workplace culture are essential to attracting younger talent to the industry.
  • 03A generational shift in the workforce requires the produce distribution sector to rethink recruiting and retention strategies.

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