Biography

Jonathan Maze

Editor-in-Chief

 Contact Jonathan

Restaurant Business 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.”

Articles by
Jonathan Maze

Page 1
Leadership

Nelson Peltz is stepping aside as Wendy's chairman

The investor, who has chaired the fast-food chain since 2007, was named chairman emeritus as he shifts focus to his other work. Arthur Winkleblack will take over as chairman.

Financing

TGI Fridays loses control of most of its assets

A consulting firm will take over many of the casual-dining chain's management functions after a trustee on its bonds declared a “manager termination event.”

The Bottom Line: Red Lobster and Topgolf were both acquired by companies outside the restaurant industry. Those companies have learned just how competitive the business is.

The Bottom Line: There is a clear line in what restaurant chain buyers want right now. They want franchisors, not the restaurants themselves.

Topgolf Callaway Brands said it plans to separate into two companies just four years after it acquired the eatertainment chain.

Surveys and traffic data suggest that the Chicago-based fast-food chain has improved its results in recent weeks, thanks to a value meal and Collectors’ Cups.

A Deeper Dive: CEO Marc Torres joins the Restaurant Business podcast to talk about how the chain keeps customers after its pot-themed marketing gets them in the door.

The Bottom Line: A pair of studies by Revenue Management Solutions provide a sobering look at the views of consumers on restaurant prices and their dining habits.

COO Debbie Stroud will take over for the longtime executive at the end of the year when Nelson will end a 20-year career with the San Antonio, Texas-based fast-food chain.

The Bottom Line: A host of investment companies have been snapping up restaurant companies at bargain prices. Getting them back into growth mode is the hard part.

Another director resigned from the board of the fast-casual restaurant chain operator, which is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Nearly a quarter of public restaurant companies have hired new chief executives this year amid weak sales and stock price performance.

  • Page 1