Fat Brands (FAT-NASDAQCM), the franchisor that owns Fatburger, Hurricane Grill and Wings, Buffalo’s Café and Buffalo’s Express, Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses, and Yalla Mediterranean, has received a $20 million loan from Sardar Biglari’s managed investment fund, The Lion Fund, L.P. and The Lion Fund II, L.P.

Restaurant Brands is here to stay (not surprisingly), but the operating details of this situation reflect a great deal of financial engineering rather than predictable, above average, long term operating progress. Visit www.rogerlipton.com to view free restaurant company descriptions and other articles.

Rick Thompson has a long track record in the franchise finance sector that has included playing a key role in building franchise finance platforms for major lenders.

Each generational group has different wants and needs that influence their restaurant purchase behavior. Accordingly, foodservice marketers need to understand how to gain the attention of these consumers to drive traffic.

Texas Roadhouse is one of the premier restaurant operators. Management is outstanding, their long-term record is superb, and we don’t doubt that they will continue to be very profitable. Visit www.rogerlipton.com to view free restaurant company descriptions and other articles.

Armando Pedroza clearly remembers the first restaurant loan he ever made. It was Dec. 20, 1995.

Dan Holland has spent his entire banking career keenly focused on restaurant finance and he has a healthy respect for operators.

Brenna Wadleigh earned a degree in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington and also is a CPA. So, it is no surprise that as CEO of N3 Real Estate she makes sure the math works on new development deals.

Restaurants in major markets across the country are struggling to adjust to labor shortages, pay increased health care costs, absorb rising food costs and steep rents, and deal with the expectations of today’s consumers. Some are downsizing, and Others are turning to delivery apps to grow revenue. Some are just shutting their doors.

After earning a master’s in economics from Columbia University in New York City in the early 1990s, it is no surprise that the first stop for Nick Cole was Wall Street.

In today’s competitive restaurant world, a restaurant organization’s entire approach to customer needs must take into account many factors. Often, when restaurant owners are faced with closing a business, the story they tell is about their inability to resolve competitive issues and create a sustainable business.

I just returned from the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference, the must attend conference for restaurant industry professionals. The conference attendees spent three days networking, listening to panels focused on critical industry developments and getting macro-economic updates from keynote speakers such as Arthur Laffer (Ronald Reagan’s economic guru) and Guy Adami (daily CNBC stock market commentator).

I wrote an article on my blog (www.rogerlipton.com) on October 11, discussing the three major restaurant positions in Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital portfolio that comprise a massive 41% of his $8.3 billion fund. The companies include Restaurant Brands (QSR), Chipotle (CMG) and Starbucks (SBUX). Visit www.rogerlipton.com to view free restaurant company descriptions and other articles.

Ab Igram already had a solid resume in business consulting by the time he caught the “bug” for franchise financing. Igram currently serves as managing director of Sponsor and Specialty Finance and Head of Restaurant and Franchise at Webster Bank.

Robert Daniel followed a fairly typical path into finance with a business degree and a first job at NationsBank (now Bank of America) 25 years ago. But it was his desire to have knowledge that was more than “a mile wide and an inch deep” that set him on a course to specialize in restaurant finance.

Inspire Brands, affiliated with private equity firm Roark Capital, announced the intended purchase of Sonic Corp. (SONC), at a premium of about 18% to the market price prior to the offer. Visit www.rogerlipton.com to view free restaurant company descriptions and other articles.