Continue to Site >>>

Heather Lalley

Managing editor

Articles by
Heather Lalley

Page 5
Financing

Portillo’s sees opportunity in catering, pickup-only stores

The Chicago-style fast casual opened 12 new restaurants in 2023, a record number, and said same-store sales rose 5.7% during the year.

Marketing

McDonald’s flips its ‘M’ for manga fans

Marketing Bites: The burger giant becomes WcDonald’s on Monday, with a limited-time spicy WcNugget sauce. Plus, Zoup! has a new name but the exclamation point isn’t going away.

Emerging Brands

How Sean Brock is spreading joy via Joyland

The famed Southern chef is ready to grow his fast-casual concept, saying it’s “a great privilege for somebody to make something as simple as a burger and fries and see how happy it makes people.”

Financing

Fast-growing 7 Brew Coffee gets growth investment from Blackstone

With the transaction, early investor Jimmy John Liautaud of sandwich chain fame sold his stake in the drive-thru coffee-stand concept.

Marketing

Restaurants spring for leap day deals

Marketing Bites: It only comes around every four years, after all. Plus, lots of developments in restaurant loyalty programs.

Leadership

El Pollo Loco hires Yum Brands vet Liz Williams as CEO

Williams, previously president of Taco Bell International, will assume her new role at the fast-casual grilled chicken chain on March 11.

Marketing

Restaurants embrace the darker side of Valentine’s Day

Marketing Bites: Chains are consoling those who’ve recently been dumped, as well as offering to do the breaking up on behalf of their customers.

Operations

McDonald’s reaches cage-free egg goal ahead of schedule

The burger giant, which bought nearly 2 billion eggs last year, said it had to rework its supply chain to meet its sourcing demands.

Workforce

$4.35M settlement reached in rape of teenage McDonald’s worker

Franchisee Rice Enterprises, which declared bankruptcy last year, had employed a registered sex offender as a manager.

Financing

Slimmed-down Pizza Inn and Pie Five continue profitability streak

Parent company Rave Restaurant Group said it made about $600,000 during its second quarter, about twice its net income from a year ago.

Marketing

Restaurants look to drive super sales on Super Bowl Sunday

Marketing Bites: For some brands, it’s the biggest day of the year. And one Chicago operator is partnering with a cannabis company for some very special wing sauce.

Financing

Savory Fund backs smoothie, acai bowl concept South Block

The majority stake marks the 12th restaurant investment for the Utah-based private-equity firm and the first in its $200 million Savory Fund III portfolio.

  • Page 5