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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

Everybody is buying restaurant chains right now

 By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 06, 2021

There have been six deals in seven days plus one IPO and an upgraded SPAC merger as dealmaking makes up for lost time. RB’s The Bottom Line examines why.

Financing

Franchisees start buying up brands

 By Jonathan Maze on Jul. 01, 2021

Large franchisees have scooped up Fuddruckers, Au Bon Pain and now Taco Cabana in recent days. But owning a brand is quite different, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

JAB Holdings heads for the exits

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 30, 2021

IPOs by JDE/Peet’s and Krispy Kreme, and perhaps Panera Bread, signal a major shift in strategy for a firm many thought had long-term aspirations, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Restaurants are navigating a ‘perfect storm’ of inflation

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 29, 2021

The industry is facing rising costs for labor, food and real estate and could look a lot different in the next 12 to 18 months, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Why restaurant companies are going public right now

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 25, 2021

Soaring valuations and a dearth of publicly traded consumer companies are setting the stage for a flurry of industry IPOs, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Here comes Sweetgreen’s inevitable IPO

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 21, 2021

The tech-infused fast-casual salad chain’s public offering has been a long time coming but it already has a sky-high valuation, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Five things to know about Dutch Bros Coffee

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 18, 2021

The drive-thru coffee chain, which is planning to go public, has grown quickly but not as quick as you’d think, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Consumers are back to spending more at restaurants than at grocers

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 15, 2021

The industry made a complete recovery from the pandemic, according to the latest retail sales data, but some of it is coming from prices, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Why poor succession planning made Subway's problems worse

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 10, 2021

Founder Fred DeLuca didn't do enough to ensure his successor had the authority necessary to make changes the brand needed, says RB's The Bottom Line.

Financing

Subway is shifting away from a model that fueled its growth

By Jonathan Maze on Jun. 09, 2021

The sandwich giant has quietly bought out a third of its development agents, a major shift in strategy that is changing how it does business, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

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