DoorDash and Stephanie Izard join forces to think outside of the room for restaurants

DoorDash and its newly appointed Chief Restaurant Advisor, Stephanie Izard, are giving restaurants and the food community a seat at the table. While the word pivot might have been overused in the past year, some of the best culinary minds have had to adapt. While restaurants were once bustling and overflowing with guests, the reality is that the silence in the room seemed to overwhelm any food that might come out of the kitchen. Now is the time to adjust, re-calibrate and find that pinch of flavor that will make that favorite dish seem even better than before.

By bringing Stephanie Izard in as the Chief Restaurant Advisor, DoorDash appreciates that it needs to listen to the community that it supports. While customers will drive the success of the endeavor, the reality is that the restaurant’s voice is paramount to keeping those guests coming back time and again. Whether the label is co-habitants, symbiotic or another adjective, all the components must work in harmony to create the best possible outcome.

As shared by Tom Pickett, Chief Revenue Officer at DoorDash, “the new Chief Restaurant Advisor role is one of the ways in which we are continuing to listen to our partners, so we can better serve the merchant community and take action to build an even stronger relationship with local restaurants.”

For many local restaurants, the struggle happens on many levels. It is more than bringing guests back to the table. It is having a community that supports the business from all sides. From the employees who staff the kitchen to the suppliers that bring the ingredients to the guests that enjoy the food, each component is vital to the overall success.

With many restaurants under her brand, Izard appreciates that being able to adapt is key. Recently, she changed a bar space into her new SugarGoat bakery. When her pastry chef wasn’t available, she took it upon herself to grab the flour and eggs and experiment with desserts.

More importantly, Izard kept her point of view as she looked for new avenues to keep moving forward. The same approach that she takes to her savory dishes at all of her restaurants can be found in her desserts. It isn’t about totally re-writing the script. It is about finding what works for you and embracing new ways to foster a successful enterprise.

Izard shared, “Joining DoorDash as its first-ever Chief Restaurant Advisor during such an important time, where optimism across the industry is bouncing back, energizes me. This is an opportunity that I don’t take lightly, as I know that bringing the voice of the local restaurants to leadership is critical to enact meaningful change. DoorDash believes wholeheartedly that it needs to “make room at the table” and “think outside the room” each and every day, and the Chief Restaurant Advisor role is one of the ways this is being accomplished.”

While this partnership is just beginning, the conversation that it sparks is vital for everyone within the restaurant industry. Just like the most flavorful dish is the sum of its parts, this restaurant rode to recovery is a community effort. Even everyone longs for a quick journey down that two lane road, the reality is that there will be a few bumps along the way. But, the reward at the end of the line is in sight.

What do you think will help restaurants recover to their bustling ambiance? Do you think that the restaurant industry is forever changed?