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

Takeaways from Day 2 of the Restaurant Leadership Conference

1 week ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley |Joe Guszkowski |Patricia Cobe |Lisa Jennings

Get ready to see a lot more cameras in restaurants. As chains look to fine-tune operations, they are installing cameras that can gather data and help ensure that employees are executing. Some restaurants owned by franchisee Sizzling Platter are using cameras to assess whether employees are assembling products correctly and identify potential training moments, for instance. “It’s starting to seep in a lot more,” said Jim Balis, Sizzling Platter’s board leader.
Hy-Vee to shutter most in-store bars, eliminate full-service dining

2 weeks ago | supermarketnews.com | Heather Lalley

West Des Moines, Iowa-based grocer Hy-Vee is shutting down all but a few of its in-store bars, while making further changes to its Market Grille dining facilities. A Hy-Vee spokesperson confirmed the pub closures, which take effect May 1, but declined to say how many in-store bars are currently operating or how many will remain.
Week in Review: Tariffs, Dave & Buster’s ‘mistakes,’ changes at Jersey Mike’s

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

FacebookTwitterLinkedInDave & Buster's is looking around mistakes its current leaders say were made by previous executives at the food-and-games chain. | Photo: ShutterstockWelcome to Restaurant Business’ Week in Review for the week of April 7, 2025. Restaurant stocks plunged late last week amid ongoing tariff-related volatility, with major stock indexes down 6%.
Grocer Hy-Vee to shutter most in-store bars, eliminate full-service dining

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

Cancel your Happy Hour plans in the cereal aisle. West Des Moines, Iowa-based grocer Hy-Vee is shutting down all but a few of its in-store bars, while making further changes to its Market Grille dining facilities. A Hy-Vee spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the pub closures, which take effect May 1, but declined to say how many in-store bars are currently operating or how many will remain.
Mark Wahlberg didn't want to call his burger chain Wahlburgers

2 weeks ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

When Mark Wahlberg’s big brother Paul, a chef, first approached him about opening a burger concept, he thought it was a fantastic idea. But when Paul floated his proposed name for the concept, Wahlburgers, Mark was less, uh, enthusiastic. “Fuck no,” Wahlberg told a packed ballroom in at the JW Marriott Resort in Phoenix Monday during the first full day of the Restaurant Leadership Conference, presented by Restaurant Business parent company Informa.
CVS Health names former UPS executive as CFO, taps new chief medical officer

2 weeks ago | supermarketnews.com | Heather Lalley

CVS Health has named former UPS executive Brian Newman as its new chief financial officer, the Woonsocket, R.I.-based pharmacy retailer announced Tuesday. Newman will replace Thomas Cowhey, who has held the role since January 2024. Newman will assume the position on April 21. Cowhey will transition to a strategic advisor role to CVS Health President and CEO David Joyner, effective May 12.
Restaurants go easy on the fooling this April 1

1 month ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

FacebookTwitterLinkedInCupcake bakery The Cup continues its tradition of April Fools' Day treats. | Photo courtesy of The CupWe’re already living in a topsy-turvy time, so to add April Fools’ Day into the mix is a bit over the top. Like adding French fries to your mashed potatoes.
Wingstop gets saucy with a pop-up bar called Bar Tender

1 month ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

FacebookTwitterLinkedInWingstop is launching a pop-up bar called Bar Tender. It will feature chicken tenders. | Photo courtesy: Wingstop. Wingstop is known for many things: Boneless and bone-in wings12 zesty flavor optionsBonkers, double-digit same-store sales growthIt is not, however, known for operating bars. But the Dallas-based fast-casual wing chain is known for its history of cheeky marketing efforts.
Week in Review: El Pollo Loco rebrand, Big Boy battle and Starbucks’ redesign

1 month ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEl Pollo Loco's CEO said the chicken chain is in need of a rebrand. | Photo: ShutterstockWelcome to Restaurant Business’ Week in Review for the week of March 10, 2025. El Pollo Loco’s CEO says the chicken chain needs a brand relaunch to become more modern, more consistent and offer a better customer experience. There’s a feud brewing between two factions of the retro Big Boy burger brand in Ohio, with one suing the other for allegedly planning to encroach on the other’s turf.
Pandemic Voices: Michael Roper, founder-owner, Hopleaf Bar

1 month ago | restaurantbusinessonline.com | Heather Lalley

FacebookTwitterLinkedInscreenshotAs he sees it, Michael Roper is no longer competing with other bars and restaurants in Chicago. He's competing with consumers' homes, which they transformed into "pleasure palaces" during the pandemic. Roper, the founder-owner of Chicago's Hopleaf Bar, reflects on the many changes he has witnessed since March 2020. Members help make our journalism possible.