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Heather Lalley

Managing editor

Articles by
Heather Lalley

Page 36
Emerging Brands

Pincho gets a $20M investment from the Savory Fund

The money will be used to fuel growth of the Miami-based fast casual, as well as buying out franchisees to convert the eight current restaurants to company-owned stores.

Marketing

Chipotle is rethinking its relationship with digital influencers

The fast casual is creating the Chipotle Creator Class, using TikTok to promote the program, with plans to “redefine the traditionally transactional relationship” between a brand and influencers.

Emerging Brands

How Sam Fox went from college dropout to one of the country’s most successful restaurateurs

In the nearly 30 years since opening his first restaurant, Fox has become a concept developer whose ideas regularly get scooped up by big-time investors and chains.

Operations

Wingstop rolls its Thighstop virtual brand onto its main menu

After launching the virtual concept in June, Wingstop said it was time to offer the bone-in thighs and Thigh Bites on its regular menu. Thighstop is still available via DoorDash.

Leadership

Sweetgreen co-founder and CEO apologizes for comments on COVID and obesity

Jonathan Neman, whose fast-casual salad chain filed to go public in June, said his earlier statement that called for a tax on processed foods, among other things, was “insensitive and oversimplified.”

Workforce

Shake Shack pauses its 4-day work week test

The fast casual had lauded the experiment as a valuable recruitment and retention tool, but blamed COVID for the need to put the program on hold.

Emerging Brands

Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken prepares for big growth

The former NBA star’s fast-casual chicken concept is getting into ghost kitchens, franchising and cruise ships, all the while finding the best ways to leverage its famous founder’s image.

Financing

Private equity firm Sloan Capital becomes an Everbowl franchisee

The firm has signed on to open 50 of the customizable, health-focused bowl restaurants in Texas, starting with a unit in Dallas that’s planned to open later this month.

Financing

PizzaRev acquired for $1.1M by Amergent Hospitality

The struggling fast-casual pizza chain, which has closed all but 12 locations, is now owned by the parent of Little Big Burgers and others.

Leadership

Sweetgreen co-founder faces backlash after comments linking COVID to poor diet

In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Jonathan Neman, whose salad chain filed to go public in June, linked the pandemic to obesity and called for a ban on “food that is making us sick.”

Marketing

Chipotle looks to get even more business from its most-loyal customers

The fast-casual chain, which has done more than $2 billion in digital sales so far this year, launched an expansion of its rewards program Wednesday that offers ways to earn extra points and badges by completing personalized challenges.

Operations

Potbelly goes back to the drawing board

The fast-casual sandwich chain is rolling out a new menu little more than two years after its last menu revamp. It is also scrapping a new store design that didn’t achieve its goals.

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