Munchery Nabs Starbucks Exec

There are more meal delivery apps out there now than the average diner can shake a stick at, so how can startups make themselves stand out? For Munchery, the proof is in the pudding.

Founded in 2010, Munchery has taken a step forward with its executive team, bringing on former Starbucks Senior Vice President of Food Pascal Rigo as its new chief customer experience officer, Fortune reported. Before Starbucks, Rigo founded and sold La Boulange, a designer baked goods chain, and will be bringing the same skills that helped him overhaul the coffee giant’s food offerings to Munchery.

“For the customer, we want people to think of Munchery as the place to go for everything that’s great food at home,” Rigo told TechCrunch. “That’s why I think in the next few weeks, you will probably understand it better. It’s really to be the best food delivery company in the country. That’s the goal.”

Rigo’s role as Munchery’s CCEO will put him at the nexus of the startup’s behind-the-scenes operations and its customer-facing actions. TechCrunch noted that this is likely to involve working with chefs to formulate recipes, overseeing promotional materials and taking care of whatever else customers want out of Munchery’s growing list of services.

Munchery currently only serves customers in San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York City, Reuters explained, but with startups like Blue Apron and Sprig jockeying for market share in the increasingly crowded on-demand food delivery sector, Rigo and Munchery might find some serious obstacles in the months and years ahead.

However, Munchery’s formation of its current executive team might help it ride the ups and downs of scaling better than most. Fortune explained that Rigo is joining two former La Boulange executives, Nicolas Bernadi and Robert Cubberly, at Munchery’s top management level.

It should be a good sign. Doesn’t every great meal start with good ingredients?

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