When restaurateurs ask what their restaurant is worth, my general reply is that it’s worth a multiple of your cash flow, or EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). Next, I look at what that multiple is based on whether it is a growth concept, an early- stage … Read more >>

COVID-19 has had a transformational impact on the restaurant industry. Read more >>

More independent restaurant owners should consider crowdfunding to open or expand their restaurant business.  What is crowdfunding all about and how does it work for restaurants? Read more >>

The tax fraud charges brought against the Trump Organization and its CFO, Allan Weisselberg, may seem to some a political vendetta waged by the New York district attorney against the former president. Donald Trump has called the indictment a “witch hunt” and his son Don Jr., said the “case i… Read more >>

The Restaurant Finance Monitor is pleased to announce that  SkyBridge Capital founder, Anthony Scaramucci, will keynote the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference in November at the Bellagio Hotel.  Scaramucci, a former Goldman Sachs banker and White House Communications Director fo… Read more >>

Paul Brown, CEO of Inspire Brands and G.J. Hart, CEO of Torchy’s Tacos will headline the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference, November 8-10 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The accomplished CEOs will provide an inside look at their leadership styles, growth strategies and oppo… Read more >>

The Restaurant Finance Monitor is pleased to announce that Jon Taffer will keynote the opening general session of the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference, to be held November 8-10, 2021 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.  We are excited to be holding the event in person! Read more >>

We’re excited to announce a keynote speaker for this year’s event. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a nationally known physician and former commissioner with the Food & Drug Administration. Dr. Gottlieb, a frequent contributor to CNBC, the Wall Street Journal and CBS’s “Face the Nation” throughout th… Read more >>

Chick-fil-A, Inc. reported record revenue and earnings in 2020, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The Atlanta-based quick-serve operator, ranked by Franchise Times Magazine as the 9th largest franchise company in the United States, reported record free-standing franchised restaurant sales as it… Read more >>

I finally got around to watching “From Poor to CEO: The Incredible Journey of Herman Cain.” Released shortly after the former restaurant executive’s untimely death last July, the hour-long documentary traces Cain’s rise from working- class roots to corporate executive, presidential candidate… Read more >>

Neil Blazin, owner and co-founder of Pittsburgh-based Driftwood Oven, is a crowdfunding veteran. In 2017 he raised more than $40,000 on Kickstarter to move his mobile pizza oven and bakery into a brick-and-mortar location, and in 2020, his regulation crowdfunding campaign on Honeycomb Credit… Read more >>

If you believe the hype, virtual restaurants are a savior for existing restaurants struggling to turn a profit or looking to monetize excess kitchen capacity. For the countless operators now buying into virtual concepts from existing restaurant players, well-capitalized technology brands or … Read more >>

Brian Geraghty learned early that if you kept your head down and did your homework, it kept you out of Mom’s line of sight. “She had a rule: If you weren’t doing schoolwork or at your part-time job, she’d put you to work around the house,” he said. Read more >>

The November bankruptcy filing of CBL Properties, the large mall and shopping center REIT, echoes a dreary sentiment for malls, shopping centers and retailers since Covid came on the scene in March. The burgeoning trend toward e-commerce, accelerated by the pandemic, crushed brick-and-mortar… Read more >>

The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Trump. $900 billion of COVID relief includes round two of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan program.  $284 billion has been set aside for PPP-2, called … Read more >>