Empty Restaurants Test Coworking, Blue Apron Considers IPO, Future of Protein + More

Photo: Hollis Johnson via Business Insider

Is coworking a viable revenue stream for empty restaurants or restaurants that are closed during the day? What might the future of protein look and taste like? Is Blue Apron getting ready for an IPO? Get answers to these questions and more in our weekly round-up of last weeks top food startup, tech and innovation news. Every week we track all the business, tech and investment trends in agriculture, CPG, retail, restaurants, cooking and health, so you don’t have to.

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1. The Future of Protein Dinner

We are thrilled to be partnering with The Future Market on their Future of Protein Dinner in NYC. Join us June 28 for a multi-sensory edible exploration of the past, present and future of protein. Reservations are almost sold out, so snag yours today.

2. What If The Food Industry Ended Monoculture Farming?

Can sustainable agriculture and big food co-exist? The Future Market’s Three Sisters Polenta shows why polycultures are the future of food.

3. Meal-Kit Startup Blue Apron Said to Hold Preliminary Talks On IPO – Bloomberg

The company, which was recently valued at $2B, has discussed the possibility of proceeding with an initial public offering in the next 12 months.

4. There Are 2,000 Empty Restaurants During the Day in New York — and This Startup Is Trying to Do Something About It – Business Insider

Spacious wants to turn restaurants into coworking spaces during the day. It’s launched its first partnership with DBGB Restaurant and Bar in New York City.

5. How Do Food Delivery Startups Stay in Business? – re/code

Munchery CEO Tri Tran discusses how Munchery has reached profitability in the Bay Area.

6. Germany: A Startup That Wants to End World Hunger is Starting With A Tiny Indoor Vertical Farm – Quartz

Indoor farming startup Infarm has launched a small hydroponic vertical farm inside a Metro supermarket.

7. This Startup Is Turning Leftover Beer Into Tasty Snacks – Mother Jones

An inside look at some of the food waste innovators featured at our April San Francisco Food Waste Meetup, including Regrained, Imperfect Produce and Back to the Roots.

8. Food Tech Media Startup Funding, M&A and Partnerships: March and April 2016

While companies like Dinner Lab and Kitchit have shuttered, $2.02B was invested in food tech startups in March & April. Read more about Brita’s thoughts on the future of food tech.

9. General Mills & Organic Valley Partner To Help Conventional Dairy Farms Transition to Certified Organic – Robyn O’Brien

The strategic sourcing partnership will help 20 dairy farms add around 3,000 acres to organic dairy production over the next three years.

10. CPG Exits Rise For 4 Years Straight As Corporates Scoop Up Craft Brands – CB Insights

There were more than 165 exits of private CPG companies in 2015, a sharp increase over 2011, which saw 50 exits.

11. Louisville’s Door to Door Organics Combining with Relay Foods in Online Grocery Merger –The Denver Post

Together, they serve 18 states. Financial terms of the all-stock merger were not disclosed, but Brick Meets Click estimates that their combined revenue is $50M+.