Category
Franchise economics, pricing, food costs, real estate, payments
209 articles
RSSRoyalties are just the beginning — the real cost of being a franchisee is buried in marketing funds, tech fees, and line items most operators never question
Opening a franchise is sold as a path to business ownership with reduced risk. But when QSR concepts fail, franchisees lose everything: their investment, their livelihood, and sometimes their life savings.
From material inflation to labor shortages, franchisees face unprecedented barriers to expansion as build-out costs surge past historical norms
Private equity dry powder, aging franchisees, and a consolidation arms race are pushing QSR resale valuations to unprecedented heights — and reshaping who owns America's fast food.
A guide to SBA-backed restaurant financing: eligible loan uses, required contributions, qualifying equity sources and the franchise eligibility and credit reviews behind an application.
With Chick-fil-A properties trading at sub-4.5% cap rates and institutional capital pouring into drive-thru assets, quick-service restaurant real estate has cemented its status as the bond market's cooler cousin.
From nuclear verdicts to carrier exits, the forces reshaping restaurant insurance — and the strategies operators are deploying to survive the hard market
Inside the commission structures, margin pressures, and strategic choices defining the future of restaurant profitability
Data analytics, billion-dollar unit volumes, and drive-thru-only formats are transforming the battle for prime restaurant locations
While operators obsess over labor costs and food prices, the payment processing industry quietly siphons billions from an already thin-margin business
A data-driven look at the three structural forces that permanently reset quick-service pricing — and what operators and investors need to understand about the new baseline
From Roark's $9.6 billion Subway deal to Blackstone's $8 billion Jersey Mike's acquisition, PE firms are reshaping who owns American fast food.