Champagne’s 2026 grape harvest opened earlier than any officially recorded season in the region, with picking starting in some areas in mid-August and even earlier under special permission. Industry officials and growers say repeated heat waves, drought, and spring frost pushed grapes to ripen unusually fast. Continue Reading
Diners are increasingly turning to AI to decide where to eat, yet a striking share still run into a very old problem: getting a restaurant to answer the phone. That tension is reshaping discovery, reservations, and the guest experience. Continue Reading
Home of Chicken & Waffles in Oakland will permanently close on August 31 after more than two decades in business. Owner Derreck Johnson said he is “happy and excited” to leave the restaurant industry and move on to his next chapter. Continue Reading
Del Taco franchisee Matadoor Restaurant Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2025, and 16 of its restaurants in Georgia and Alabama later closed. Fourteen of the confirmed closures were in Georgia, while Del Taco has indicated only one Matadoor-operated Alabama location remained open as of February 2026. Continue Reading
Mars Wrigley is eliminating 307 jobs in Newark as it closes its New Jersey headquarters and consolidates corporate operations in Chicago. State filings show layoffs can begin on October 16, 2026, while the company says its Hackettstown operations will remain in place. Continue Reading
Restaurant cooks and recipe developers say some store-bought staples save time, improve consistency, or simply are not worth making in-house. From puff pastry to canned tomatoes, the shortcuts professionals use are often practical rather than precious. Continue Reading
Several common shelf-stable ingredients found in U.S. kitchens are consistently flagged by major heart health groups for their links to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The concern is less about a single product than repeated exposure to high sodium, added sugars, saturated fats, and trans fats in everyday packaged foods. Continue Reading
A multistate Cyclospora outbreak tied to shredded iceberg lettuce has pushed one of the most common salad staples back into the spotlight. Federal investigators and food safety specialists say the episode underscores the limits of relying on convenience lettuce products when contamination is suspected. Continue Reading
Processed and red meat intake has been linked in major cancer reviews to pancreatic cancer risk, even as the strongest evidence remains for colorectal cancer. Researchers and cancer groups say the findings support limiting processed meat as part of an overall cancer-prevention diet. Continue Reading
Goop Kitchen, the wellness-focused restaurant brand backed by Gwyneth Paltrow, has opened its first dine-in location at One Paseo in Del Mar. The San Diego opening marks a shift for a company that has mostly grown through delivery and pickup kitchens. Continue Reading