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

Grubhub apparently considers a sale

By Jonathan Maze on Jan. 10, 2020

As delivery companies struggle to generate profits, consolidation appears to be near, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Yum Brands is buying itself a growth chain

By Jonathan Maze on Jan. 07, 2020

RB's The Bottom Line looks at why Taco Bell's owner opted to take on such a small acquisition in its proposed purchase of The Habit Burger Grill.

Financing

Wall Street falls in love with Chipotle again

By Jonathan Maze on Jan. 02, 2020

The burrito chain was the industry’s best stock in a generally good year, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

In Burgerim, another fast-growth story is too good to be true

By Jonathan Maze on Dec. 20, 2019

The burger brand is the latest example of a franchise chain that grew quickly, only to run into problems, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Hundreds of Jack in the Box locations are losing money

By Jonathan Maze on Dec. 17, 2019

A lot of the brand’s locations had negative operating income in 2018, and the problem is concentrated in a surprising state, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Customers are still abandoning malls

By Jonathan Maze on Dec. 16, 2019

Several retailers say their mall traffic is declining, and restaurant sales are going with them, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing

Potbelly’s activist investor is still lurking

By Jonathan Maze on Dec. 13, 2019

Ancora Advisors, which has pressured the sandwich chain in the past, recently upped its stake in the company as its stock price continues to fall, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

Financing