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

Sweetgreen’s valuation is already higher than Wendy’s and Papa John’s

The Bottom Line: IPO investors have made newly public chains more valuable than other concepts with much longer track records.

Financing

Sweetgreen has a strong IPO. Now what?

The Bottom Line: The salad chain’s market debut was one of the year’s best in the industry. But skepticism about its long-term prospects remains.

The Bottom Line: Higher prices, due to demand, labor and commodity costs, has been the primary reason for the sector’s recovery. But how long can this last?

The Bottom Line: Yet another initial public offering, this one from Fogo, shows that the market has shifted considerably toward the public markets.

The Bottom Line: The venerable sandwich has helped turn McDonald’s into a behemoth and paved the way for fast-food breakfast.

The Bottom Line: Cash flow is at record levels for many operators, valuations are strong, but the operating environment remains brutal.

The Bottom Line: The CEO of Inspire Brands foresaw changes that would give big companies a huge advantage. That’s exactly what has happened.

The Bottom Line: Valuations for fast-food restaurants have taken off this year. But more lenders, and some operators, believe the future is good for full service.

The Bottom Line: The investor, who has been rebuffed repeatedly in his efforts to join the company’s board, is now tackling executive bonuses and wants more dividends.

The Bottom Line: The pizza chain’s sales have remained strong despite the labor shortage. Its ability to get help from aggregators like DoorDash and Uber Eats is one reason.

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