Heather Lalley

Chicago

Managing Editor at Restaurant Business

Managing Editor at FoodService Director

Managing Editor at Informa

Managing editor @RB_magazine, @cspdailynews, @FS_director. Medill + Washburne Culinary. Past @SpokesmanReview. Fries & pies. She/her.

Articles

Value remains a top priority for restaurant customers, finds Yelp

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Pat Cobe |Bret Thorn |Timothy Inklebarger |Joe Guszkowski |Jonathan Maze |Lisa Jennings | +1 more

Searches for "cheap eats" and "meal deals" have spiked this year, according to the platform’s 2025 State of the Restaurant Industry
Newtide launches AI agent for fuel, convenience retailers

2 weeks ago | cspdailynews.com | Rachel Gignac |Heather Lalley |Diane Adam |Hannah Prokop |Greg Lindenberg |Jonathan Maze | +2 more

Data management technology captures information, generates insights and orchestrates automation
7-Eleven jumps into the summer value wars

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

FacebookTwitterLinkedIn7-Eleven is among the growing list of retailers and restaurants offering deals to lure cash-strapped consumers this summer. | Photo: Shutterstock7-Eleven is ready to do battle in the summer value wars. The convenience-retailing giant on Wednesday announced a Craveables Value Menu, pitting it in head-to-head competition with fast-food chains also looking to win consumers over with low prices.
Week in Review: Din Tai Fung’s jaw-dropping AUVs, Krispy Kreme exits Insomnia, Starbucks operations

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

FacebookTwitterLinkedInUpscale soup dumpling chain Din Tai Fung has the industry’s highest average unit volumes. | Photo: ShutterstockWelcome to Restaurant Business’ Week in Review for the week of June 9, 2025. Upscale soup dumpling chain Din Tai Fung has the industry’s highest average unit volumes. At $27.4 million last year, that’s more than double the next closest chain.
Week in Review: Keke's plans a growth spurt, James Beard Awards celebrates immigrants and more

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

Keke's plots a growth spurt: Denny’s purchased family-dining chain Keke’s Breakfast Café in 2022. And . It has already opened nine locations this year, with 11 more in the pipeline. It's eyeing a goal of 25% to 30% unit growth each year. Food is political: I've covered the James Beard Awards ceremony for most of 10 years the "Oscars of the restaurant world" has been held in Chicago.
C-stores are stealing fast-food tactics. And fast-food customers

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

Made-to-order food, value offerings, loyalty programs. Sounds like the hallmarks of any solid fast-food restaurant. Increasingly, however, they are becoming the hallmarks of convenience-store foodservice programs. And the tactics are quickly stealing customers from restaurants.
The real James Beard Award stars? Immigrants

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

Hundreds of chefs, restaurant owners, bartenders and other culinary stars, dressed in sequins, tuxedos and chiffon, gathered at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House Monday for the 35th-annual James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony. About two dozen people went home with silver medallions around their necks. But the real stars of the night? Immigrants. The awards, often dubbed the Oscars of the restaurant world, were presented amid a backdrop of growing political tensions around immigration.
2018 James Beard Award nominees announced

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

The James Beard Foundation today announced the 2018 crop of nominees for its annual restaurant awards. The awards, which have been presented since 1990, honor excellence in food, drink, service, restaurant design and more. Here’s a look at some of the nominees who will be trading their chef coats for tuxes and gowns when the winners are announced May 7 in Chicago. For a complete list, go to the James Beard Foundation Awards website. Best New RestaurantThe Charter Oak; St. Helena, Calif.
Fast-casual Smiling Moose launches full-service concept

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

While a host of casual-dining chains launch fast-casual offshoots, one brand is taking the opposite approach. In January, the fast-casual Smiling Moose Rocky Mountain Deli opened a 3,500-square-foot full-service restaurant in Denver called Smiling Moose Sandwich Grill & Bar. The restaurant is almost twice the size of a typical Smiling Moose, with a full bar, expanded menu and sports bar ambiance.
Dollar General’s stock soars as budget-conscious shoppers drive record sales

3 weeks ago | supermarketnews.com | Heather Lalley

Dollar General’s stock soared more than 14% during midday trading Tuesday, after the discount retailer posted record quarterly sales and boosted its outlook, thanks to financially anxious consumers hunting for deals. For the quarter ended May 2, Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General’s net sales rose 5.3% to $10.4 billion, with same-store sales up 2.4%. That was driven by 2.7% growth in average basket, tempered by a 0.3% decrease in traffic.