Food & Beverage

Me, Ted Lasso and something in common

Twenty years ago, I started my career in restaurant journalism. Now, I’m back where it all began as the editor of QSRWeb and Pizza Marketplace.

Photo: Valerie Gritton

September 8, 2026 by Valerie Gritton

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The other night, I was watching the latest season of Ted Lasso when I had a strange, almost serendipitous thought: I was returning to something, too.

Just as Ted was returning to London to coach a girls' soccer team, I was returning to a place where, 20 years ago, I began my career in restaurant journalism as the editor of FastCasual.com, QSRWeb.com and PizzaMarketplace.com — and, along the way, ended up doing just about everything in restaurant communications.

Where have I been?

Well, a lot can happen in 20 years.

I moved beyond journalism and took a deeper dive into communications and PR, launching my own PR and communications company in 2012. I worked with brands and businesses to develop their stories, build their reputations and figure out how to communicate what matters most to their audiences.

That journey included eight amazing years at Monkey Group, where our small but mighty team built Off-Premise Insights, a media division rooted in thought leadership and education as restaurant operators navigated the wild terrain of takeout, catering and delivery.

It was an experience that brought together so many of the things I loved about journalism and aligned them with the strategic side of communications — understanding an audience, identifying what matters to them and creating content that serves a purpose greater than ourselves.

I have always felt that journalism was never about serving one. It has always been, for me, about serving the many.

And then there was Yum! Brands.

As we were finally beginning to see a way through to the other side of COVID 19, I accepted a role with Yum!'s internal corporate communications team. For someone who had spent so much of her career helping organizations tell their stories from the outside, stepping inside a global restaurant company, and seeing communications from the other side, was an entirely different kind of education.

It gave me another perspective — not just on communications, but on leadership, culture, people and what it means to be part of an organization.

I met new people. Collaborated with international thought leaders across multiple business divisions and worked with a great team.

It was a period that challenged me both personally and professionally. And in doing so, it taught me the importance of honoring what I believe in, trusting my instincts and staying true to my values.

Most important, I learned that sometimes the most valuable professional experiences aren't necessarily the ones that teach you something new; they're the ones that remind you of who you are.

Which brings me here today.

Back in journalism. Back as the editor of QSRWeb.com and PizzaMarketplace.com. Back where it all began nearly 20 years ago.

As I look back, I realize each of the chapters written during those two decades was adding another layer to the foundation I built all those years ago.

What I didn't know then was that I would eventually bring all of those layers back with me to where it (almost) all began.

I'm returning to an editorial role I held nearly 20 years ago with both the parts of me that have changed and those that have stayed the same, yet evolved into something deeper. And that's what makes this return so interesting.

The media landscape has shifted. The restaurant industry has elevated. The consumer has evolved. Technology has advanced. And the way people discover, consume and respond to information has transformed into something entirely new.

Because the foundation of what makes us good at something doesn't necessarily change. It just gets stronger. More refined and more instinctive. #barbecuesauce