Financing

What to make of a flurry of restaurant acquisitions

On this episode of "A Deeper Dive," RB’s Jonathan Maze and Peter Romeo discuss what has been a busy summer season for restaurant M&A.

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This has been an especially busy summer for restaurant mergers and acquisitions.

In this week’s edition of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” RB Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo joins Executive Editor Jonathan Maze to discuss all of these deals and to see if there is any deeper meaning behind the flurry of activity.

The deals include Starbucks taking a stake in tech company Brightloom, Ares Management’s investment in Cooper’s Hawk, and Cracker Barrel’s investment in Punch Bowl Social. Jack’s was sold, and Jollibee bought The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

A company controlled by Marcus Jundt, meanwhile, bought what’s left of Kona Grill. Previously, companies such as Whataburger and Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group reached deals to be sold. All this happened despite changing dynamics in the industry and generally weak traffic.

Please have a listen.

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