Gabe Hauari
Gabe Hauari covers national trending consumer news with a focus on food chains, grocery retailers and everyday spending decisions. He tracks how menu launches, limited-time promotions and price changes affect what diners and shoppers can get and how much they pay. His reporting combines quick coverage of breaking food news with clear breakdowns of availability, timing and cost.
Fast food menu launches and limited-time promotions
Hauari has a steady run of stories on fast food and fast casual chains introducing new or returning menu items, often framed as fan-favorite or themed promotions. He highlights collaborations such as Burger King’s Dragon Ball Super Power Up Pack, detailing the special sauce, drink, sides and collectible figurines bundled into the meal and noting that it ties into the anime franchise.
He covers Slim Chickens’ Dr Pepper Blasted tenders and wings in similar fashion, explaining that the flavor comes from a proprietary dry seasoning applied after frying and that the items are available nationwide for a defined window.
His coverage of Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Bowl and Chipotle’s Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips spells out the specific pastas, sauces, toppings and loyalty-program exclusives diners can expect, along with when and where they can order them. A story on Krispy Kreme’s fall Churro Doughnut Dots treats the doughnut chain’s seasonal collection in the same detailed way, listing individual flavors and drinks and underscoring that the items are limited-time offerings. The Panda Express piece on a returning spicy dish fits this pattern of focusing on fan-favorite items and clearly telling readers when they are back and what exactly has changed.
Warehouse clubs, grocery chains and food courts
Beyond restaurant chains, Hauari regularly follows food news at warehouse clubs and discount grocers, with attention to value and availability. His coverage of Costco’s twisted churros returning to food courts presents the comeback of the churro as a fan-favorite item, connecting it to the chain’s broader food court strategy and prior limited-time sundaes. Another Costco story on chicken tenders going viral lays out how the item is driving interest on social media while noting that it is not yet available in all locations and tying in the launch of the Caramel Churro Sundae with price and ingredient details. In a co-bylined piece on Aldi, he reports that the grocer is cutting prices on roughly a third of its regularly stocked products, pointing out core fall staples like pears, Brussels sprouts and squash, and specifying the dates of the reductions and how long they will last.
Across these stories he consistently gives readers the product names, price points and timeframe for promotions or cuts, keeping the focus on what shoppers will actually see in stores.
Food recalls and consumer safety alerts
Hauari also handles food safety news, translating regulatory announcements into clear consumer guidance. In his story on nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef being recalled after missing required inspection, he identifies the importer, the production dates and the specific beef cuts and box labels affected.
He notes the states where the products were distributed and relays the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s instruction that customers should not consume the meat, instead throwing it away or returning it to the place of purchase. The piece keeps the language direct and action-oriented, giving enough detail for people to check their freezers without drifting into commentary.
Retail openings and practical service coverage
Although food is a major thread, Hauari’s national trending brief extends to broader retail and service news that affects daily routines.
He covers expansion plans for chains like Whataburger, reporting that the company intends to open 17 new locations across seven states by a specific deadline and situating that growth within its existing footprint. Similar pieces on HomeGoods and Five Below list how many new stores are opening, in which general areas, and when customers can expect them to start operating.
A service-oriented article on what is open or closed on Sept. 11 walks through mail delivery, banks and other everyday services, helping readers navigate closures tied to the date.
These stories mirror his food coverage in structure, centering on concrete details - counts of locations, dates, and operational status - rather than analysis. Taken together with his food reporting, they show a reporter who treats national trending news as a series of practical, time-bound changes that shape where people can shop, eat and handle basic errands.
Across beats, Hauari’s work is marked by straightforward service framing and granular product detail. He favors clear lists of items, ingredients and prices, and he anchors promotions and recalls in specific dates and distribution information. Whether the subject is a new hazelnut ice cream from Nutella, a seasonal doughnut lineup, or the return of a pasta promotion, he keeps the writing clean and focused on what changes for the customer.
That consistency makes his stories useful reference points for understanding how national brands, grocers and retailers are shifting menus, pricing and openings in real time.
4 more food journalists.
Aaron Guerrero
Aaron Guerrero is head of the digital department at Miami’s Community Newspapers, where he pairs restaurant coverage with community-facing content. He focuses on how Miami-area restaurants evolve, celebrate, and experiment through new concepts, menus, and neighborhood-focused dining experiences. He reports on restaurant openings, such as an Italian food hall at Plaza Coral Gables, new executive lunch menus, and wood-fired Latin steakhouse brunches, explaining what sets each venue apart. He also covers awards, like a Wine Spectator honor for an Italian chophouse, and events that turn dining rooms into social hubs. His bylines extend to features on sports-themed gatherings, civic renamings, local visits to restaurant programs, sponsored community pieces, and official notices. His work is straightforward and descriptive, helping readers and local businesses connect around specific openings, promotions, and dining experiences.
Aarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming reports on how courts, jails and public safety systems work over time. He is a reporter at The Daily Memphian covering public safety, the local court system, suburban news and business developments in North Mississippi. His work follows trials, sentencing, appeals, plea deals and judicial decisions, including major cases tied to Tyre Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also covers jail conditions, inmate deaths, crime data, prosecution units, trafficking, shootings and public-order incidents. His suburban reporting examines cannabis businesses, restaurant openings and how commercial growth affects communities such as Olive Branch. Fleming previously covered education in the same newsroom. He uses clear, unadorned prose to explain legal steps, deadlines, institutional problems and the political, commercial and community effects of public-safety decisions.
Alana Al-Hatlani
Alana Al-Hatlani is a food writer and editor who treats recipes, restaurants, and food features as ways to explore culture, community, and the business of eating. She works on the food team at Southern Living, overseeing and contributing to print recipes and reported features. Her pastry-focused, restaurant-tested perspective comes from time in restaurant and bakery kitchens. She helps plan and write monthly food packages, including “The South’s Most Treasured Desserts,” and wrote “8 Summer Recipes Our Editors Make Every Year.” She also writes recipe tips, ingredient explainers, restaurant guides, and reported stories about workers, owners, and communities. Her subjects include regional specialties, dining scenes, kitchen basics, and food industries. Her work has appeared with OpenTable and Yahoo. She reports on the ground, explains techniques clearly, and connects specific dishes and places to larger stories about food and livelihood.
Alana Edgin
Alana Edgin is a business reporter whose strongest focus is food, restaurants and consumer-facing businesses. She works at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and has also had work syndicated across AOL and Yahoo News. She covers new openings, closings, expansions and franchise growth, along with retail, health, services, corporate news, data incidents, business support programs and sponsorships. Her reporting includes detailed roundups of new restaurants and businesses, coverage of El Pollo Loco’s opening, and stories on burger trucks, dessert shops, Vietnamese sandwich restaurants and gourmet markets. She also contributes to food and drink reviews, including fall coffee and jerky comparisons. Edgin reports with practical “what, when, where” details, structured comparisons and clear explanations of how offers, partnerships and business changes affect consumers and the local economy.