Today in Food Commerce: McDonald’s Trolls Elon Musk; Gopuff Preps for IPO

Today in food commerce, a joke tweet from McDonald’s at Elon Musk presents unexpected consequences for cryptocurrency holders, and Gopuff teams up with major banks in advance of going public. Plus, Portillo’s speaks with PYMNTS about how the digital shift is transforming the brand’s restaurants.

McDonald’s Trolled Dogecoiner Elon Musk With Grimacecoin; Crypto Liked It

There’s a lesson here: Don’t make crypto jokes with your brand. Twelve hours after Elon Musk tweeted out a promise to “eat a Happy Meal on TV” if McDonald’s accepted dogecoin, the fast food giant replied “only if @tesla accepts grimacecoin.” It was accompanied by a purple cartoon coin featuring Grimace, its purple blob-shaped cartoon character who joins Ronald McDonald, the Hamburgler and others in ads. Another 12 hours later, and there were more than a dozen real grimacecoin cryptocurrencies.

Gopuff Taps Banks for IPO Amid Rush of VC Interest in Food Delivery

On-demand delivery giant Gopuff is drawing closer to its initial public offering (IPO), now reportedly having hired the banks with which it will carry out the process. The Philadelphia-based company has tapped Morgan Stanley and Goldman for its IPO with plans to add J.P. Morgan as an underwriter as well.

Portillo’s Reimagines Its Restaurants for the Mobile-Order Future

“We think we’re going where the puck is going, which is fewer diners eating inside of a restaurant and more using drive-thru, ordering ahead and picking up, so this is our first ever attempt at a dining-room-less experience, and for Portillo’s, that’s a big deal,” Portillo’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Off-Premise Dining Nick Scarpino told PYMNTS in an interview.

Pizza Hut Tests Fully Robotic Restaurant, Portending the Vending Machine-ified Future of the Pizzeria

When it comes to pizza, consumers may be ready for robotic restaurants. Pizza Hut now has a fully automated location at a mall in Bnei Dror, Israel, per a video shared on LinkedIn by Hyper Food Robotics, the tech company powering the location. Given the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry-wide trend toward convenience and efficiency above all else, the model could grow to be a core part of the pizza chain’s restaurant strategy when the technology becomes affordable enough to make the economics work.

What Drives Customer Loyalty? Depends on the Merchant

PYMNTS research reveals that the factors that boost consumer loyalty are significantly different for those shopping for groceries than for those purchasing pharmacy products.