It’s already been a very busy summer for mergers and acquisitions.
At the time I’m writing this column, we’ve had more acquisitions than I can count. Here’s a small sampling:
• The Cheesecake Factory buying Fox Restaurant Concepts for $335 million.
• Delivery platform DoorDash buying Caviar for $410 million.
• Cracker Barrel investing up to $140 million in the restaurant-entertainment Punch Bowl Social.
• New private-equity owners taking over Hooters.
Seriously, this is just to name a few in July and early August. (If you don’t receive our daily morning newsletter NRN A.M., now is a really good time to sign up to keep informed on the latest breaking deals.)
This recent foodservice consolidation is reminiscent of the massive consolidation in the food retail world, where grocery companies have long used their scale to drive operational efficiencies that make their tight margins work.
Restaurant dealmaking and M&A moves figure prominently in Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2019 list of the Top 100 Companies by revenue.
This list — part of NRN’s Top 200 series of reports, edited by Restaurant and Food Group data director Alan J. Liddle — is the premier who’s who list of major restaurant players. Check out Al’s insights for a behind-the-scenes look at the data.
The report includes three years of revenue results for the largest restaurant companies as well as information on their restaurant holdings, their headquarters and their year-over-year growth.
It’s an amazingly useful list of the non-consumer facing companies running the largest restaurants in the United States. Keep this one bookmarked — and review it closely because you are bound to find some surprises.
NRN has been busy this summer, too. We’ve got some exciting info for you — the restaurant CEO salary guide of what chief executive officers at top public companies make, a deep dive on how quick-service restaurants are using artificial intelligence and a look at higher-end beef in more casual places.
It’s all perfect for reading during your very well-deserved vacation.
Contact Jenna Telesca at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter: @JennaTelesca
