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

So you are opening a restaurant in a Walmart? Good luck with that

The Bottom Line: The retail giant is adding regional restaurant chains to its stores, giving them some key exposure. But there are some real drawbacks to pay attention to.

Financing

Why MOD Pizza is not out of the woods yet

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual pizza chain was sold last week to Elite Restaurant Group. But few who’ve seen the finances believe the company can avoid closing large numbers of stores.

The Bottom Line: In some markets, customers can get the fast-food chain's $5 value meal for $4. The situation illustrates a key rule in the restaurant business: Customers are savvy and will find loopholes.

The Bottom Line: The potential bankruptcy filing of MOD Pizza further illustrates the sector’s challenges, which have worsened coming out of the pandemic.

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual pizza chain's apparent downfall may color the industry's condition more than Red Lobster. But MOD was a victim of its own decisions.

The Bottom Line: Frozen yogurt and better burger chains dominated growth a decade ago. Their differing long-term results are instructive for today’s hot restaurant sectors.

The Bottom Line: It’s been a tough year for many restaurant chains so far in 2024, and stock prices reflect that difficulty.

The Bottom Line: Closures and bankruptcy filings have become commonplace in recent months. It’s a tough market, and this is the result.

The Bottom Line: The chicken sandwich chain has been an unstoppable powerhouse for years. But customer-satisfaction data and value scores show some diners are frustrated over its prices.

The Bottom Line: Same-store sales have slowed markedly for the past year as customers shifted to other options. And now operators are furiously working to get them back.

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