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Kristen Hawley

@kristenhawley.bsky.social
540 followers 213 following 65 posts

Restaurant industry journalist / founder of expedite.news

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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
There's a big difference between entrepreneur and opportunist! Most journalists I know understand this, and that doesn't make us risk-averse, it makes us ethical and trustworthy. (I'm a solo journo with over a decade of newsletter entrepreneurial experience including one successful exit.)
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
There's a huge difference between doing world-changing work and gaming the system with outrage content.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Explain to me like I didn't live through the early 2000s in NYC why this is not a medicated eating disorder: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/d...
nytimes.com
Ozempic Is Shrinking Appetites. Restaurants Are Shrinking the Food.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
I am over 7 years out from my third (and last) media layoff and it is still so raw. Thinking about the talented people who are too good at — and care too much about — their important work to be part of this media trash fire.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
This story is absolutely wild. www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaur...
sfchronicle.com
This is what happened when Thomas Keller asked me to leave the French Laundry
Thomas Keller is a legendary chef. Chronicle critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan hadn’t met him, until she went to the French Laundry and he asked her to leave.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
whoa whoa whoa you mean the signal from a professionally reported story is stronger than those from the unregulated social influencer economy? You don't say! (I still hate this.) www.semafor.com/article/05/1...
semafor.com
PR pros have discovered how to influence the chatbots: Talk to a journalist
The public relations business is poised for a resurgence in the AI age. It just needs someone to write the stories.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
DoorDash plans to buy reservations and CRM company SevenRooms for $1.2 billion. The deal is expected to close later this year. www.expedite.news/p/doordash-b...
expedite.news
DoorDash buys SevenRooms for $1.2 billion
What does a delivery want with a reservations service? Cue a future battle of the restaurant superapps.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
I will defend good QR codes usage in restaurants to the death. If you're going in, go ALL IN like Flour + Water: www.fastcompany.com/91311865/san...
fastcompany.com
Why this iconic San Francisco pizza shop is going all in on QR codes—despite the skepticism
Chef Thomas McNaughton's latest restaurant location needs to pump out pies fast, and it's using the polarizing tech to help.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
There's always a restaurant angle www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/d...
nytimes.com
As Tesla Protests Spread, Elon Musk Gets Ready to Enter the Restaurant Business
Two years ago, the Tesla founder and DOGE chief began to build a diner and drive-in theater in Los Angeles. Then he became a political lightning rod.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Sweetgreen is adding 'ripple fries' to the menu at all its restaurants today. I flew to LA a couple weeks ago to try them and hang out with the c-suite: www.fastcompany.com/91289313/swe...
fastcompany.com
Sweetgreen is betting that you want fries with that salad
The fast-casual chain is inching closer to McDonald's by offering the fast-food staple at all of its restaurants—with a healthy twist.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
You'd think government officials could at least get the grammar right in an email firing workers whose skills and ability are deemed subpar. And yet... www.wired.com/story/dozens...
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
I'm in!
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Clicked on a @fastcompany.com link of best New Yorker covers not expecting to find the actual best New Yorker cover, but look! “Missed Connection” by Adrian Tomine (Nov 8, 2004) made the list — and my office wall.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
My pal @rickwebb.net shared my favorite DeepSeek explainer yet: buttondown.com/rickwebb/arc...
buttondown.com
Good Morning. Hello. How are you? #1422
DeepSeek analysis, cuz that's what you want from an aging ad guy who hides in the woods.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Just another day in paradise. (Yes, Expedite accepts limited sponsorships.) www.wsj.com/articles/sub...
wsj.com
Substack Advertising Is Turning Writers Into Part-Time Sales Reps
Authors are using DIY methods to moonlight as media sellers as ads begin to infiltrate their newsletters.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Do I know anyone who's been to the Newsletter Conference in New York? Worth it? thenewsletterconference.com
thenewsletterconference.com
The Newsletter Conference 2025 | May 2, 2025
The Newsletter Conference brings together newsletter professionals from around the world. Get your tickets now to learn and network with email newsletter pros.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
20 years of Employees Only, whew! vinepair.com/articles/emp...
vinepair.com
Employees Only Turns 20: An Oral History of the Iconic NYC Speakeasy
Twenty years ago, a handful of roommates and Dale DeGroff disciples bound together to turn their hospitality-forward house parties into their life’s work. Employees Only (EO) came into the world on No...
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
There's always a restaurant angle.
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Reposted by Kristen Hawley
Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 02/12/2024
🗣️🗣️🗣️ I need more people to buy subscriptions to keep publishing Fingers. I'm offering 25% off to first-time subscribers, today only. If you like independent journalism about drinking in America, now is a great time to upgrade: www.fingers.email/subscribe?co...
Screenshot of a header of Fingers. It reads: 

FINGERS
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSLETTER ABOUT DRINKING IN AMERICA

"I need more people to buy subscriptions to keep publishing Fingers."
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Wow real healthy swing at the elder millennial set in this coverage of a restaurant closing in Brooklyn. (yes I feel personally attacked, thanks.) www.grubstreet.com/article/butt...
grubstreet.com
Buttermilk Channel, a Twee Brooklyn Landmark, Is Closing
The last day for cheddar waffles and warm lamb salad is December 31.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Hello! I'm Kristen, a freelance journalist covering the future of the hospitality business. I also write a newsletter about restaurant technology (and I'm super proud of it.) Read and subscribe at expedite.news.
expedite.news
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
The onetime restaurant delivery leader in the US was just acquired by an upstart bourgeoning "meal delivery superapp" run by a billionaire. Wonder paid $650M for Grubhub. That's less than 10 percent of the $7.3B that Just Eat Takeaway paid for Grubhub in 2020. www.expedite.news/p/wonder-mig...
expedite.news
Wonder might buy Grubhub
Wow, okay! The wannabe mealtime super-app is sizing up a delivery OG
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 12/11/2024
Today's edition of Expedite has over 2,000 words and dozens of links to help us all think through what could come next for restaurants based on everything we've seen before. www.expedite.news/p/now-what
expedite.news
Now what?
Considering the future of hospitality under another Trump presidency
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 31/10/2024
Today on Expedite: DoorDash turns a profit and partners with Lyft: www.expedite.news/p/doordash-t...
expedite.news
DoorDash turns a profit
What a long, strange (Lyft!) ride it’s been.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 30/10/2024
DoorDash posted a profit in the third quarter, its first quarterly operating profit since the company's December 2020 IPO. (More context in tomorrow's edition of Expedite; sign up to get it in your inbox at expedite.news)
expedite.news
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 14/10/2024
That feeling when you finally file the draft, my goodness.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 30/04/2024
I'm on a podcast! It was an honor to appear on On the Pass. It's intimidating to be on the other side of the interview, but I figured I'd lay it all on the line and share my goals for the future of my restaurants newsletter, Expedite. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...
podcasts.apple.com
‎On The Pass: High Tea: Kristen Hawley on Apple Podcasts
‎Show On The Pass, Ep High Tea: Kristen Hawley - Apr 22, 2024
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 12/03/2024
Ah yes so glad the entire journalism industry is preparing for the inevitable rise of generative AI as the companies building it whisper "It can't really do everything" to their salespeople. Via The Information:
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 11/03/2024
LOL, "sniveling." Haven't heard that one in a while! ny.eater.com/2024/3/11/24...
ny.eater.com
Where to Go When You Can’t Get Into the City’s Hottest Restaurants
You know the ones
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 27/02/2024
Just spitballing here, but I would read thousands of reported words about the sort of LinkedIn "experts" who repackage others' work for personal gain.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 27/02/2024
LOL people.com/trader-joes-...
people.com
Hotel Guest Discovers Fancy 'Room Service' Is Frozen Trader Joe's Meal After Finding Stocked Fridge (Exclusive)
After sharing her experience on TikTok, the woman told PEOPLE that the hotel claimed they had a private chef making all their meals
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 21/02/2024
A thing to remember (and that's not in this linked article) about the rapid scale of new restaurant concepts like Kernel is that they will rely on a hub-and-spoke model in densely populated areas to operate. The small storefronts are part of the economic allure: www.bonappetit.com/story/kernel...
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 15/02/2024
Significant layoffs at Instacart earlier this week; now restaurant point of sale provider Toast is cutting hundreds of roles: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 14/02/2024
In an investor update today, Uber shared some numbers to back up its earnings story. Just over a third (34%) of its monthly consumers use rideshare and delivery services. Those consumers spend over three times as much with the company. And 31% of delivery "first trips" come via the rideshare app.
expedite.news
Profitable Uber leans into... the usual
I love a good earnings call, even when it’s unsurprising.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 07/02/2024
I love earnings season, and it's been a minute since I've covered a call on Expedite. UNTIL TOMORROW! (Thanks, Uber.) subscribe: expedite.news/subscribe
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 07/02/2024
This post is just :head-exploding emoji: I wonder... did the person who created this search app bother to ask the flight attendant about the blueberry juice (this is what we call a primary source)? Or did he go straight to the web, circumventing the information that was literally under his nose?
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 26/01/2024
Mood
two Fortune magazine covers a decade apart, one extolling billion-dollar startups, the other eulogizing them
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 13/12/2023
What's the over/under on Substack striking a financial deal to let AI providers like ChatGPT crawl our trusted and valuable newsletters?
on.substack.com
The AI revolution is an opportunity for writers (the human kind)
Content will be commoditized—but content isn’t culture
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 04/12/2023
Proud to share my latest #longread. It's about Zume, a failed robot pizza company that wasn't really a robot pizza company. This story has a lot of cliches & a few WTFs, but really it's a testament to the risk of throwing nine figures of funding behind an idea. www.fastcompany.com/90979001/zum...
fastcompany.com
fastcompany.com
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 07/11/2023
I don't know who needs to hear this (JK I do), but a clear and explanatory headline or email subject line is not "clickbait."
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 06/11/2023
It's a restaurant! It's a tech company! It's a hopeful robot salad company! Also, cheers to fun weekend headlines. My latest for Fast Company: www.fastcompany.com/90977050/swe...
fastcompany.com
fastcompany.com
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 01/11/2023
My newsletter's color palette has been knocked off twice in one week. Thanks I'm... flattered?
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 01/11/2023
I just wrapped a magazine feature about a different Softbank-funded... adventure that I've been immersed in for months and I still can't believe this company's story.
wsj.com
WSJ News Exclusive | WeWork Plans to File for Bankruptcy as Early as Next Week
Once a venture capital-backed star with an astronomical valuation, the flexible-office-space provider is now preparing for chapter 11 protection
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 26/10/2023
Surprised it wasn't higher, tbh www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
sfgate.com
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 24/10/2023
I was considering changing the color of Expedite's background, but it's now apparently recognized by the paper of record as the official color of restaurant technology coverage on the internet.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 23/10/2023
Real "old man yells at cloud" vibes from this one that seems like it's trying to insult the restaurant's owners but just makes the critic seem hopelessly grumpy and out of touch, extremely obscure book reference from the '70s included.
ny.eater.com
This East Village Hype Machine Charges $28 for Two Shrimp
A meal at Foxface Natural channels artist Salvador Dalí
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 11/10/2023
I don't know why we are begging the "pivot to video" people to support journalism when they're literally telling us they don't understand the news business. I also don't know the right way forward, but I'm pretty sure they aren't it. (I'm down to help build whatever it is.)
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 04/10/2023
Forget Yelp, the WhatsApp first grade parents' group chat is going off about the brand new donut shop that opened next to school this week.
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 20/06/2023
Conquering the YouTube algo is one thing; conquering the restaurant world is another entirely. Thoughts on those deleted tweets and MrBeast’s intention to bail on his virtual burger joint:
expedite.news
Virtual superstar MrBeast meets restaurant reality
You have to master the food *and* the algorithm
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Kristen Hawley @kristenhawley.bsky.social · 31/05/2023
Strange that the Washington Post chose to report this story from San Francisco, no? www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i…
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