The rapid rise of food delivery into everyday life felt to many like a consequence of Covid. In reality, it was the inevitable influence of technology on an otherwise traditional sector—transforming takeaway from a sideshow into a core pillar of modern food businesses. Yet, the challenges facing operators in this space remain severe. Every stakeholder—restaurant, customer, rider, and platform—feels the economics don’t quite stack up. This talk explores how emerging technologies, including AI and robotics, can help address the fundamental value problem in food delivery. By creating obvious efficiencies, we’ll consider how further innovation can unlock profit margin missing across the hospitality industry and ultimately usher in a second act for food delivery.