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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

On Russia, restaurants found themselves ‘between a rock and a hard place’

 By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 10, 2022

The Bottom Line: Closing stores in Russia is costing McDonald’s and other brands millions. But the cost of not doing so might be even greater.

Financing

Restaurants deal with yet another round of uncertainty

 By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 10, 2022

The Bottom Line: With the omicron surge subsiding and local regulations easing, consumers were feeling increasingly comfortable dining out. The Ukraine invasion changed all that.

Financing

Wall Street hits casual dining stocks hard

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 08, 2022

The Bottom Line: Monday was a bad day for full-service restaurant valuations. But no industry sector escaped investors’ ire. There may be real reason for concern.

Financing

The economy is strong, and the labor market is improving

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 04, 2022

The Bottom Line: Restaurant industry job creation has been steady and largely shrugged off two recent surges. And there are signs people are coming back to work.

Financing

After more than a decade of smooth driving, Domino’s hits a rut

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 03, 2022

The Bottom Line: With sales slowing and drivers hard to find, the pizza delivery chain is turning to a pair of executives in Russell Weiner and David Brandon who played key roles in its historic turnaround.

Financing

Fast-food restaurants search for the right notes on value

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 01, 2022

The Bottom Line: With their costs soaring, chains are moving off traditional value prices. But some are cutting back on what’s included with the offer. There are perils either way.

Financing

Fast food restaurants are taking a lot of price, and executives are OK with that

By Jonathan Maze on Feb. 25, 2022

The Bottom Line: Operators are raising prices at levels not seen in decades. They say consumers are paying them. But that may only last so long.

Financing

3 things to think about Subway’s 2021

By Jonathan Maze on Feb. 23, 2022

The Bottom Line: The company’s sales announcement this week provided an incomplete picture of its performance. But that doesn’t mean we can’t draw some conclusions.

Financing

The federal investigation into Andy Wiederhorn raises some old questions

By Jonathan Maze on Feb. 22, 2022

The Bottom Line: The Fat Brands founder and CEO is under a federal investigation over spending charged to the company. It comes 16 years after he was released from prison on a felony conviction.

Financing

How Burger King plans to improve franchisees’ profits

By Jonathan Maze on Feb. 18, 2022

The Bottom Line: Recent sales weakness along with cost increases have taken a bite out of profitability. The company says it is working to get them back.

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