Jonathan Maze on LinkedIn: 2024 MenuDirections Conference (2024)

Really excellent story here by Lisa Jennings about Gladstone's, the Los Angeles beachfront restaurant that's been slated for closure for some time. But a trio of partners and some employees are working hard to make it better, even if it's only for a while.

12

So Jeff Crivello has been busy lately since the sale of Famous Dave's to MTY, acquiring chains like Cowboy Jack's and Berry Divine Acai Bowls. He's now making a play for a couple of other brands: BurgerFi and Rubio's.

23

1 Comment

With another restaurant bankruptcy filing this is probably a good time to highlight that we are likely in a restaurant recession, given the filings/closures and the oncoming value war. Tough market.

43

25 Comments

Wrote about the way social media has taken three chains on one hell of a rollercoaster ride lately: McDonald’s, Starbucks and Chipotle.

11

1 Comment

Maze working on a weekend: Rubio's closed 48 locations in California on Friday. They blamed the operating environment in California for the decision. I believe that is the first closure blamed at least indirectly on the fast-food wage there. They didn't explicitly blame the wage in their statement but let's be real here.That said, Rubio's has had weak sales for a while. Hard for chains like that to raise prices to offset higher costs.

75

10 Comments

Wondering why McDonald's came out forcefully in defense of its prices this week? We have a pretty good explanation, thanks to some data from Technomic, Inc.In short, the company's value scores are dropping among its lighter users. Its core customers are actually more likely to consider the chain a good value than they did five years ago. The fast-food chain now hopes national value, which will likely continue in various forms for the rest of the year, will change that.

15

1 Comment

The struggling fast-casual brand operator BurgerFi is exploring strategic alternatives. It received $4 million in loans from its lender and a major shareholder to get through the process and received a forbearance from said lender.

25

5 Comments

I had the always excellent Christine Barone on my podcast this week, which was timely as Dutch Bros Coffee is coming off a spectacular quarter. The beverage business is fascinating. Drive-thru coffee/beverage shops are taking over. People are drinking more cold beverages and more variety than ever. And energy drinks are surging. And there are all kinds of fascinating competitive dynamics.All of which is to say you should check this episode out.

30

McDonald's is hitting back on pricing. The company issued a rare public comment featuring data on the price of a Big Mac amid what it sees as inaccurate information on inflation in its restaurants. It highlights the ongoing issue of value at fast-food restaurants and the impact public perception on that value may be having on major brands right now.

88

15 Comments