Continue to Site >>>

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

Maybe the market for delivery is simply slowing

 By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 25, 2022

The Bottom Line: As Domino’s confronts its driver shortage, perhaps it’s time to wonder whether overall demand for delivered food is shrinking in a more normalized environment.

Financing

Potbelly gets an activist, but this one is different

 By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 22, 2022

The Bottom Line: Nierenberg Investment Management Company gushed about moves the sandwich chain is making, but wants company insiders to buy more stock.

Financing

Why McDonald’s franchisee dispute is a big deal, even if investors are ignoring it

By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 20, 2022

The Bottom Line: We explain the depths of operators’ frustration with management, and why an independent association could take a vote of no confidence in McDonald’s top executives despite the chain’s strong performance.

Financing

5 reasons not to fear a recession

By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 19, 2022

The Bottom Line: The likelihood of an economic downturn is increasing and there is already evidence of slowing demand, but there are reasons the industry is in better shape to withstand these problems.

Financing

Restaurant sales rise, thanks to inflation and consumer demand

By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 15, 2022

The Bottom Line: Restaurant sales rose 1% in June, about as much as menu prices increased. The average consumer remains resilient and less willing to cut back on dining out than on other things.

Financing

Crumbl Cookies goes to war against copycats

By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 13, 2022

The Bottom Line: The fast-growing cookie chain has been filing lawsuits against companies over mimicking its business ideas. It goes to the heart of one of its biggest risks.

Financing

The private sector has recovered jobs lost from the pandemic, but not restaurants

By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 08, 2022

The Bottom Line: The industry remains 700,000 workers behind where it was before the pandemic, even as sales have recovered. Why is the business so far behind?

Financing

Subway proves that customization isn’t the draw people thought it was

By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 07, 2022

The Bottom Line: The sandwich giant perfected the idea of the assembly line and its fully customizable menu. But its new “Subway Series” demonstrates that it has some pitfalls in the modern restaurant.

Financing

For restaurants, 2022 has been a year to forget so far

By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 06, 2022

The Bottom Line: High labor and commodity costs have eaten into margins and a bear stock market has wiped out valuations. And now the economy appears headed for a recession.

Financing

Something is not working between McDonald’s and its franchisees

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 29, 2022

The Bottom Line: The burger giant is facing the latest in a string of disputes with its operators, despite the company’s strong sales and record store-level cash flow and valuations.

  • Page 26