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Heather Lalley

Managing editor

Articles by
Heather Lalley

Page 12
Technology

Wing Zone’s newest franchisee is focused on robots

The wing chain is creating Wing Zone Labs with the product development incubator behind restaurant robots like Flippy and Chippy, with the goal of fully automating its stores.

Leadership

Zaxby’s promotes Michelle Morgan to chief people officer

Morgan has been with the chicken finger chain for more than 20 years, starting out as a cashier. She’ll oversee recruitment, professional development and more.

Emerging Brands

Slutty Vegan gets $25M investment from group that includes Danny Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality Investments

The plant-based burger concept will use the money to beef up its C-suite and fuel its expansion, CEO and founder Pinky Cole said.

Marketing

Language-learning app Duolingo is set to open a restaurant

Duo’s Taqueria, slated to open next month in Pittsburgh, will offer food discounts and freebies if customers can answer a question in Spanish.

Financing

Earnings roundup: Ruth’s Chris, STK, Chuy’s, El Pollo Loco, RAVE

Sales are up, but inflation and supply chain issues continue to cause stress for smaller, publicly traded restaurant chains.

Emerging Brands

Inside the plate lunch concept that’s growing ultra-fast with Hawaiian comfort food

Drive-thrus and a super-simple menu propelled Hawaiian Bros. Island Grill into the Top 500, with year-over-year sales growth of 172%.

Financing

Shake Shack: Cities are bouncing back, but inflation persists

Shake Shack raised menu prices another 3.5% in March and said more price hikes could be on the way.

Financing

Sweetgreen says pandemic recovery is neither ‘linear nor consistent’

But the salad chain reported Thursday that its same-store sales climbed 35% during the first quarter and earnings rose 67% over the year before.

Financing

More price increases are on the menu for Portillo’s

The 71-unit Italian beef chain is working to find more operational efficiencies as “unprecedented” inflation continues to hit its bottom line.

Marketing

Noodles’ new brand identity comes with big employee perks

Marketing Bites: Noodles & Company embraces Uncommon Goodness, Sweetgreen lands a new athlete ambassador, and chains get creative for Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day.

Operations

Chipotle is hunting for more U.S.-made packaging

The burrito chain said supply chain issues and rising freight costs are making it too expensive to source from overseas, and that it might invest in a domestic packaging operation.

Financing

Wingstop heaves a sigh of relief as it finally starts to see ‘meaningful deflation’ in wing prices

The wing chain said it opened its dining rooms at the end of March, after shuttering them at the outset of the pandemic.

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