finance

Financing

10-unit Sicilian Oven lands a private-equity investment

Goode Partners made a strategic investment in the Florida-based wood-fired pizza brand with plans to help it grow within and outside of its home state.

Financing

Is one of the restaurant industry's best growth stories being overlooked?

First Watch is opening new restaurants faster than any other large full-service chain in the country. It just wishes more people would notice.

The Italian casual-dining chain is now down to just nine locations, continuing a steep decline for the brand since the pandemic. But its problems started long before that.

The two companies terminated an information-sharing process that could have created the country’s largest broadline distributor for restaurants and other foodservice providers.

A group led by Consortium Brand Partners is set to acquire the casual-dining pizza chain for less than $300 million, Reuters reported.

The Week in Restaurants: This week’s episode of the restaurant news discussion podcast looks at Panera’s new turnaround strategy, the latest in Cracker Barrel’s logo saga, and Sweetgreen’s pivot to protein.

Gilbert Dávila stepped down after losing a shareholder vote Thursday. It was a win for investor Sardar Biglari’s latest fight against the family-dining chain, but shareholders rebuffed him on other issues, including re-electing CEO Julie Masino.

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain Five Guys refuses to compromise on product quality, even when it means it can’t open in some markets. Its family ownership allows that choice.

The Bottom Line: This week’s edition of the restaurant finance newsletter looks at the outperformance of restaurant chains outside the U.S.

The fast-casual wellness chain is growing in Florida, New York and Southern California as a high-end, all-day cafe.

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