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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

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Financing

Restaurant chains are thriving outside the U.S.

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

Financing

With prices still rising, President Trump cuts tariffs on beef, coffee and other products

The White House walked back some of its import taxes on agricultural products amid inflation concerns. The National Restaurant Association said it “delivers needed relief for restaurants and their customers.”

Financing

Acquisition of a struggling Chicago market sends a Freddy's franchisee into bankruptcy

M&M Custard, which at one point owned 42 Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers fast-casual locations in six states, wants to use the bankruptcy process to shutter 11 locations and move on without them.

Financing

How much has the union dispute affected Starbucks' sales?

The Bottom Line: The coffee-shop giant says that it generated record results on its holiday launch and then on its annual Red Cup Day, despite a strike by its union and calls for a boycott.

Financing

On Sweetgreen's really tough year

The Week in Restaurants: This week’s episode of the restaurant news discussion podcast looks at challenges in the fast-casual sector, Starbucks’ holiday sales and takeaways from RFDC.

Financing

The finances of younger consumers have taken a nosedive this year

The Bottom Line: Unemployment among younger Americans has soared, as have student loan delinquency rates, while average rent keeps going up. No wonder restaurant traffic is awful.

Financing

At Starbucks, reusable cups prove to be a traffic boon

The coffee shop chain's traffic surged following the sale of its "Bearista" cold cup, while its "Red Cup Day" promotion is generating better-than-expected results.

Financing

Restaurant franchisors should put the brakes on share buybacks

The Bottom Line: Publicly traded companies often spend their extra cash to buy back shares. But franchisors of struggling chains might be better off investing that cash in the restaurants.

Financing

AI is everywhere, but how can it help restaurants?

A Deeper Dive: In the first episode of a six-part series on AI in restaurants, the restaurant finance podcast delves into the big and small ways companies are using artificial intelligence.

Financing

In Minnesota, Krispy Kreme proves it can still attract a crowd

The doughnut chain has had its share of challenges recently, but that didn’t matter to the customers who waited hours for the opening of the state’s first location in nearly two decades.

Financing

Is the market for restaurant company IPOs making a comeback? Not necessarily

Black Rock Coffee Bar demonstrated that there is some demand from Wall Street investors for restaurant chains. But the bar for such offerings remains high. "It's thawing. It's not thawed."

Financing

Key takeaways from the recent round of restaurant company earnings

The Bottom Line: Full-service restaurant chains are winning, slightly, in a weak overall market. Brands are rethinking unit count, focusing on service and pushing a lot of value.

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