The Bottom Line

Jonathan Maze The Bottom Line

Restaurant Business Executive Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze is a longtime industry journalist who writes about restaurant finance, mergers and acquisitions and the economy, with a particular focus on quick-service restaurants. He writes daily about the factors influencing the operating environment, including labor and food costs and various industry trends such as technology and delivery.

Jonathan has been widely quoted in media publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post and has appeared on CNBC, Yahoo Finance and NPR. He writes a weekly finance-focused newsletter for Restaurant Business, The Bottom Line, and is the host of the weekly podcast “A Deeper Dive.”

Financing

With its Potbelly acquisition, RaceTrac enters uncharted territory

The Bottom Line: There has never been a purchase of a restaurant chain the size of the sandwich brand Potbelly by a convenience-store brand. History suggests it could be a difficult road.

Financing

Sardar Biglari talks Cracker Barrel and compares himself, again, to Michelangelo

The Bottom Line: The activist investor, who almost never talks to the media, took shots against the family-dining chain with the New York Post. And he again made some strange comparisons.

The Bottom Line: This week's edition of the restaurant finance newsletter looks at recent workforce development efforts by Starbucks and Taco Bell. Also, Domino's pizza domination.

The Bottom Line: Nearly three out of 10 restaurant visits these days are on a deal. But about half of offers on third-party delivery apps feature an offer. The explanation? Restaurants have little choice.

The Bottom Line: Companies are starting to report their third-quarter earnings numbers. How much did fast-food chain sales slow last quarter? Can Chili’s and other casual-dining brands maintain their momentum?

The Bottom Line: Restaurant chains are marketing more than ever, with record numbers of limited-time offers and more discounts than at any point in decades. So why are they still struggling for traffic?

The Bottom Line: This week’s edition of the restaurant finance newsletter looks at an apparent slowdown in sales last month, worsening what has already been a tough year for many.

The Bottom Line: The Del Taco sale, four years after it was acquired, revealed just how much industry thinking has changed over that time. Fast-food chains were supposed to win. But these days they are not.

The Bottom Line: Executives at the event dished out some fascinating advice on operating restaurants, such as how to deal with the tough industry, why operations are important and why breakfast isn’t for everybody.

Domino's posted its best sales in nearly two years with a winning $9.99 pizza deal, but even the pizza giant's CFO warns that the broader restaurant industry slowdown is intensifying—and things could get uglier from here.

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