8 Food Companies To Watch

Food companies come and go, but some seem primed to be at the forefront of a revolution. From an app that lets you pay your restaurant bill automatically to a burger chain that's commanding lines out the door, these eight companies are definitely ones worth watching. 

Cover, developed by cofounders Mark Egerman and Andrew Cove, lets you dine and dash and not get in trouble for it. Here's how it works: You download the app, enter your credit card info and preferred tip (which you can change at any time), then let the restaurant know that you'll be paying with Cover when you arrive. After you're finished with your meal all you need to do is leave, and the restaurant will automatically charge your card, no questions asked. And if multiple people are dining, it can even be split between them. About 200 of New York's best restaurants and top spots on San Francisco and Los Angeles are also on board, with more added all the time. 

Jerky isn't something we give much thought to, but Krave is turning it into an artisanal food item. All-natural, whole muscle-cut, hand-sliced meat is marinated for 48 hours and then baked, resulting in a premium product. It's free of usual jerky additives like nitrites and MSG, and the flavors are unlike any you've seen before: black cherry barbecue pork, basil citrus and lemon garlic turkey, and chili lime, pineapple orange, sweet chipotle, and chili lime beef jerky. They've also recently released Krave Artisanal, featuring small-batch flavors like sesame ginger and cabernet rosemary beef jerky, honey peach pork jerky, and chardonnay lime turkey jerky (but so far not chocolate, despite the fact that Krave is now owned by Hershey). Krave came on the scene, and jerky was never the same again. 

Those looking for a protein-packed lunch or dinner just need to visit Protein Bar, which has locations in Chicago, Washington D.C., and Colorado. The mission of Protein Bar is to change the way people eat on the go, and while they serve food fast, it's certainly not fast food. Menu items include a burrito, salad, or bowl with braised barbecue beef; quinoa, corn, kale slaw, grape tomatoes, radishes, and agave barbecue sauce; egg white scrambles; chicken and vegetarian chili; and a wide variety of blended drinks and cold pressed juices. 

When does a burger chain that isn't called Shake Shack command lines out the door? When it's Umami Burger, which started in Los Angeles and has since been spreading the gospel nationwide. What makes Umami Burger so good? House-ground, hand-formed patties, for one. Toppings are also insanely creative and delicious – try the Umami (Parmesan frico, shiitake mushroom, roasted tomato, caramelized onion, and housemade ketchup) or Manly (beer-cheddar cheese, bacon, smoked salt onion strings, house ketchup, mustard spread). You also can't go wrong with their seared ahi, turkey, or black bean patties. Umami Burger is taking the fast food burger to extraordinary new heights – if you can snag a table.