The term “disruptor” is casually thrown around today in the business world, a designation slapped on any entrepreneur who hits gold with a good idea, regardless of its lasting impact.
Yet few would deny the appellation to the big-brained trio of Howard Schultz, Elon Musk and Marc Lore, each a visionary who’s changed America’s culture and consumption patterns. Together, they’ve altered what Americans drive, where they get their caffeine jolt, and, in the case of Lore, how they shop for diapers or school supplies (his Jet.com became a pillar of Walmart’s e-commerce capabilities).
Now all three are talking about new opportunities they see in the restaurant business. Given their track records, that thinking aloud could be the first glimmer of big things to come.
Here’s a rundown of what’s on their whiteboards.
Next for Starbucks’ Schultz: ‘Something with food’
During a recent installment of “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” a syndicated sports and business interview show that also airs on YouTube, the longtime Starbucks leader was asked what his next business venture might be. What does he foresee as the next phase of a career that’s already included three stints as Starbucks’ CEO, a run at the U.S. presidency, ownership of a pro sports franchise and a high-profile Senate appearance where he sparred with Bernie Sanders?
“I'm a curator of things, and ideas, and products and categories,” Schultz responded. “So what I see is some brick-and-mortar concept that would be complementary to my skill base, curation and merchandising capability. And, it'll have something to do where food will be at the centerpiece.”
Schultz has already experimented with a number of restaurant concepts other than Starbucks, and even signed up the coffee company as the global licensee of Italy’s Princi pizza concept. But his crusade to make Starbucks as renowned for its food as it is for its drinks has yet to find traction.
Los Angeles greenlights Musk’s dinner-and-a-charge idea
For years, indications have surfaced of a plan by the father of the Tesla to reinvent the automobile rest stop. Musk has actually said little about the venture, but his intentions have been revealed in permit requests and other government filings. He envisions a facility where patrons could grab a meal on a rooftop restaurant while their Tesla or other electric vehicle is recharged. The facility would be open 24 hours a day, and could feature attendants zipping around on roller skates.
Late last month, the project took a big step toward becoming a reality when the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety okayed a permit to begin development of the facility in Hollywood, at 7001 W. Santa Monica Blvd. According to the Tesla enthusiasts’ site Teslarati, which said it reviewed the documents, the Diner and Drive-In Supercharger would feature two drive-in movie screens, 32 charging stalls and a restaurant with rooftop seating.
Mark Lore’s reinvention of the delivery model
Lore may be the least-known of the three, but not because of idleness. He’s been hatching business ideas since his teens, when he hit on a way to sell baseball cards in batches far bigger than what was in a typical pack.
He hit his stride in the dot-com boom, brainstorming ways the internet could ease everyday stresses, like always needing diapers when a baby is in the house. He developed a site called Diapers.com, then sold it.
He came up with a way of valuating sports stars, then sold it to Topps, the baseball card company.
His big success was Jet.com, an e-commerce business conceived to rival Amazon. He would sell that one, too—for $3.3 billion.
Now Lore is convinced he can fundamentally change the way America eats by reinventing delivery, as Restaurant Business Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski masterfully recounts in a story we posted Sunday. It’s headlined, “Marc Lore’s Wonder is reinventing the meal.”
As Guszkowski explains, Lore has zeroed in on a way to get meals into customers’ hands far faster than current models allow. The idea is to deliver fare of equal quality to what a diner is served on-premise. The secret, as counterintuitive as it may sound, is offering as broad a choice as possible.
But see for yourself. You can read Joe’s story here.