Innovative and Strategic Enterprise Industry Leader Brings More Than 35 Years in Consumer Marketing and Product Innovation Success to Nextbite
Sept. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nextbite, a leader in virtual restaurants, today announced that Denny Marie Post, a 35-year restaurant industry expert and former CEO of Red Robin, has joined the fast-growing company as Advisor. Post will guide Nextbite’s success through disciplined idea pipelines and strategies based on consumer demand to drive sales and increase brand recognition. As the company continues to expand, it will tap Post’s deep expertise in identifying solutions and creating successful brands for enterprise restaurants.
As Nextbite continues its strong growth trajectory, Post will advise on strategies to supercharge current virtual celebrity brands including George Lopez Tacos and HotBox by Wiz Khalifa, along with a collection of brands from unique concepts such as Tza Tza — Mediterranean-inspired wraps and first-of-its-kind Pitzas — to best-selling Grilled Cheese Society. Post will counsel Nextbite as the company continues to expand and meet the ever-evolving needs of today’s consumer, including the development and execution of new, innovative delivery brands and concepts.
A creative leader and consumer-driven marketing and product expert, Post specializes in food service business models and market entry strategies. Prior to her current roles, she served as President and CEO at Red Robin, a chain of casual dining restaurants, and was the interim CEO of the Women’s FoodService Forum, an organization dedicated to advancing women leaders in the food industry.
Innovation has been a major theme in Post’s career. She conceived, developed, and marketed best-selling products for a variety of restaurant enterprises including Pike Place Roast at Starbucks, Red’s Tavern Double and Finest Lines at Red Robin, Popcorn Chicken at KFC, and Chicken Fries at Burger King.
“Nextbite is a company in the right space at the right time as the consumer need for convenience has increased and has become the status quo since the pandemic,” said Post. “The demand for restaurant-quality food delivery is at its highest and I don’t see that changing. What makes Nextbite unique is its success in creating new ways of combining consumer needs with supporting restaurants of all sizes to increase revenue with existing staff and kitchen space.”
She added,“Enterprise restaurants, in particular, are leaning toward new models, and virtual brands are a big topic for popular chains right now. It’s a crucial time for restaurant business development and growth as they need to adapt and change to stay in business and to increase revenue.”
“Denny is a recognized industry pro, and her vast experience working with consumer insights to craft successful brands is already helping accelerate Nextbite’s capabilities and brand recognition,” said Alex Canter, CEO and co-founder of Nextbite. “We are assembling an amazing talent base and now have close to 300 employees. Denny’s background is a crucial piece in building the most progressive and seamless teams and brands, with her bringing a focus on building relationships with enterprise restaurants and helping to make them successful with virtual brand offerings.”
Post currently serves on four Boards of Directors: Travel + Leisure Co., Vital Farms, Bluestone Lane, and Libbey. In addition, she is Executive In Residence at GXG, and Senior Advisor for US Foodservice at plant-based The LiveKindly Collective.
About Nextbite
Nextbite is focused on helping restaurant partners successfully enter the virtual restaurant space by diversifying their portfolio, using under-utilized labor and kitchen capacity, and driving demand to increase margins and revenue. Founded in 2019, Nextbite is the only complete virtual restaurant solution for existing restaurants and kitchens that pairs the proven Ordermark ordering/delivery management solution with a selection of highly visible, on-trend, delivery-only brands. Headquartered in Denver, Nextbite/Ordermark recently announced the close of its $120M funding round led by SoftBank.