Archived postings from April, 2009...

TGI Friday's fires the first shot in the casual dining price war!

Posted: Thu, April 30, 2009 at 11:36am (CDT)

TGI Friday\'s has decided to start the summer casual dining season with a $5.00 sandwich and salad offer. Watch out Applebee\'s and Chili\'s and all of you public restaurant companies. The price war is on.
USA Today April 30, 2009

Marcus Jundt, Kona CEO, loses cool on quarterly conference call

Posted: Thu, April 30, 2009 at 8:58am (CDT)

Marcus Jundt lost his cool in a quarterly conference call discussing Kona\'s recent quarterly results. In a most bizarre call, Jundt was pressed (and baited) by Mill Road Capital\'s, Thomas Lynch. Read it here on Seeking Alpha or listen to it on the company\'s web site at http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=191864&p=irol-irhome
Seeking Alpha April 29, 2009

J.H. Chapman's Annual Census predicts tight capital situation will improve

Posted: Mon, April 13, 2009 at 5:34pm (CDT)

David Epstein, an investment banker who specializes in restaurant transactions, predicts the tight capital situation which exists today will improve somewhat by the end of the year or early 2010 which should allow for more traditional merger and and acquisition activity. Attached is Epstein\'s 2008 annual census, a comprehensive guide to acquisition activity in the restaurant business.
J.H. Chapman & Co. April 13, 2009

Brian Wesbury predicts quick end to the recession

Posted: Mon, April 06, 2009 at 5:04pm (CDT)

Economist Brian Wesbury feels the Fed\'s aggressive moves to pump liquidity into the financial system is having its desired effects. Wesbury expects spending on home sales, retail sales, auto sales, oil and other commodity prices to rise in the next few months.
Brian Wesbury April 6, 2009