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Financing

Where are all the discounts? Look on the app

 By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 10, 2023

Fast-food restaurants are not advertising the type of mass discounts that marked past downturns. Instead, they’re flooding apps with deals. And franchisees have started to push back.

Food

Van Leeuwen’s latest ice cream flavor tastes like french fries

By Patricia Cobe on Mar. 10, 2023

How the Brooklyn-based concept created Idaho Potato Malted Milkshake & Fries French Ice Cream, which captures the fan-favorite combination in a single treat.

Financing

Delivery sales are sticking around at fast-food restaurants, even as dine-in returns

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 10, 2023

The Bottom Line: Despite rising prices and concerns about inflation, third-party delivery remains on the upswing at quick-service restaurants. But drive-thru demand is shifting back to normal.

Technology

In New York, restaurants are divided over fate of delivery fees

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 09, 2023

A City Council proposal would lift the city's fee cap, allowing companies like Grubhub and DoorDash to charge restaurants more for marketing. Some say it will help them compete with big chains, while others call it a "pay to play" scheme.

Financing

Inflation takes its toll as yet another company files for bankruptcy

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 09, 2023

The Bottom Line: The filing by Burger King franchisee Meridian is the fourth major Chapter 11 this year. Other companies are facing problems, too, as margins dwindle.

Food

For First Watch, a year has 5 seasons—and that adds up to a killer LTO strategy

By Patricia Cobe on Mar. 06, 2023

VP of culinary Shane Schaibly reworked the restaurant chain’s R&D process and menu launch schedule, building sales and guest anticipation.

Operations

Meet a new catering powerhouse named Cracker Barrel

By Peter Romeo on Mar. 03, 2023

The family-dining chain has set a goal of hitting the $100 million sales mark for big to-go orders this summer. As executives attest, so far, so very, very good.

Financing

For Wendy's, keeping pace with competitors is harder than it looks

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 03, 2023

The Bottom Line: The end of the company's Reef Kitchens deal and the cutback in its restaurant count projections highlights the chain's difficulties keeping up with its larger, fast-food rivals.

Financing

Better than Buffets Inc.? That's not saying much

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 02, 2023

The Bottom Line: Sardar Biglari in his letter to shareholders boasted of the cash that Western Sizzlin has generated for Biglari Holdings. His comparison leaves much to be desired.

Financing

Franchises navigate tough waters in their bid for growth

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 02, 2023

For franchises, growth is paramount. But accomplishing that is proving more difficult thanks to rising interest rates, construction costs and labor issues.

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