Miranda Albarez hosts this edition of Out to Lunch.
Miranda Albarez, half of the Out to Lunch photography team Albaledo Media, sits in as host of this edition of Out to Lunch
If there’s one thing that has consistently evolved as society has progressed over the millennia, it’s the speed we do things. Every year, people’s patience grows thinner and attention spans, smaller. And with the invention of these tiny computers that we keep in our pockets 24/7, we no longer take in life without first viewing it through the screen.
Most of us have probably heard the phrases “phone eats first” or “Hold on, I need a video of this before you mess it up”. As a byproduct of “progress” for increased production, we have lost much of what many consider makes for a “full” life. We’re always sharing, always needing the scoop, always moving. But are we truly living?
At the end of the day, no matter what speed humanity moves, we still have basic needs to meet whether or not we feel like we have the time. And that’s where my two lunch guests today come in. While many entrepreneurs and businesses would find a way to encourage people to slow down, my guests are finding ways to catch up with people in their daily lives and run alongside them.
Speed Bancroft, Founder/Chairman/CEO at Bancroft Automated Restaurant Systems aka Speedy Eats. Speed’s vending machines deliver a hot meal prepared from refrigerated fresh ingredients, a bag of chips and a drink, all in 48 seconds.
Speed Bancroft has been chasing startup ideas for years, but Speedy Eats may just be the one that stuck. Originally from Monroe, Speed came to Baton Rouge after years in Jackson, Mississippi, drawn by what he saw as a stronger ecosystem for entrepreneurs. He launched Speedy Eats in 2017, but the concept began a year earlier in his living room, where he started building an automated hamburger vending prototype.
That idea eventually evolved into an automated pizza concept, and in 2019 the company raised capital to develop its first-generation system. The original model was built around automated pizza stores, but after an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign in 2022 and ongoing capital challenges, Speed made a major pivot. Instead of building full restaurant-style automated stores, he focused on what he thought was a more scalable model: automated outdoor walk-up and drive-thru food vending units. That pivot—he says—may have saved the company.
Now, these aren’t your everyday vending machines. There are two major concepts: A 10-foot by 3-foot walk-up store and a larger 30-foot by 8-foot automated drive-thru. The vision focuses on serving hot, homestyle meals in areas where other traditional restaurants can’t go. Unlike traditional restaurants, the units don’t require water or sewer infrastructure, allowing them to operate in places most food businesses can’t— think industrial corridors, rural highways and underserved roadside locations.
Speed sees that as a major opportunity. There is still traffic where there’s no food, and Speedy Eats can go where others can’t. The company has locations planned at Ole Miss, in Iowa, and near the Meta data center construction site in Holly Ridge, Louisiana.
Hannah Wilson is founder of Red Stick Speed Dating.
Hannah Wilson, Founder of Red Stick Speed Dating, says “I’m not suggesting anyone delete their (dating) apps” but you might want to anyway. Speed Dating is like scrolling in real life – with the benefit of not having to invest in weeks of messaging before you find out if there’s any chemistry
Originally from the Chicago area, Hannah came south for LSU, fell in love with Baton Rouge and began working remotely while living in New Orleans. As a content creator and she was documenting her dating life online through her Mimosas and Lipstick social channels and talking openly about frustrations with dating apps. One experience, in particular—a “Hey girl” message alerting her that a man she was seeing was also dating someone else—became a turning point.
She started asking a simple question: If the apps aren’t working, where do people actually meet? That led her to launch Speed Dating NOLA in April 2024, and later expand into Baton Rouge in October of 2025. Hannah has now produced over 20 speed dating events in the Baton Rouge area and hosts two to four per month. Typical events include: 15 to 20 participants with men’s and women’s groups balanced as evenly as possible. She organizes events for different age brackets, anywhere from 20s to 60s, as well as heterosexual and LGBTQ-focused events.
Hannah is a one-woman show—from venue coordination and check-in to event facilitation and match follow-up. Every event is adjusted based on the venue, age group and crowd dynamic.
Red Stick Speed Dating also isn’t just about selling romance as much as creating structured social opportunity. Even when participants don’t meet a romantic match, many leave having made a friend or simply feeling more confident after trying something new.
Miranda Albarez, Speed Bancroft, Hannah Wilson, Out to Lunch at Mansurs On The Boulevard in Baton Rouge
Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. Photos by Ian Ledo.
