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

Return to normal, and high gas prices, take a bite out of drive-thru traffic

The Bottom Line: Demand for drive-thrus soared during the pandemic. That traffic has fallen this year as people go back into restaurants. Is the industry focused too much on that business?

Financing

Why McDonald’s Krispy Kreme test is such a head-scratcher

The Bottom Line: The company’s surprise announcement that it would sell doughnuts in nine locations has raised a few questions.

The Bottom Line: More companies are pushing value as consumers feel the pinch of inflation. But the offers are more expensive and likely kept to the app.

The Bottom Line: The fake meat maker is cutting 19% of its workforce in the latest sign that the plant-based trend is past its peak.

The Bottom Line: The owner of Fatburger and Johnny Rockets is looking for deals after taking a break but finds the market to be a lot slower this year.

The Bottom Line: The sandwich chain quietly eliminated its chicken breast from the menu. Operators weren’t exactly disappointed with the decision.

The Bottom Line: Aneil Lala and Neal Wadhwa left the hedge fund world to become franchisees. They quickly found that humanity can yield financial results.

The Bottom Line: Taco Bell’s strategy shift in the morning comes as consumers have returned to the daypart. But there are a lot more options, too.

The Bottom Line: Several restaurant chains have indicated challenges with lower-income consumers as inflation has increased. But lower gas prices are making things better.

The Bottom Line: He was elevated to the CEO’s job when the last guy was fired. The chain’s strong performance has put him in a strong position despite some controversy.

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