The 3 chains for sale, and 4 that could be nextThe 3 chains for sale, and 4 that could be next

Five big restaurant chains have been sold so far this year, with four deals involving publicly traded companies. Two of the acquisitions, Restaurant Brands International’s purchase of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and JAB Holding’s acquisition of Panera Bread Co., went for multiples previously reserved only for the hottest upstarts.

With the market ripe for activity, there is always speculation as to who could be next. On Friday, Maxim Group analyst Stephen Anderson listed three companies he thought could be sold. Three more are potentially for sale right now, and another could look for a buyer or could go public. 

Here are my thoughts on all seven: 

Ruby Tuesday Inc. The struggling casual-dining chain, which just reported a 4-percent decline...