Interestingly, Tata Consumer Products (TCPL) is excited to expand the Starbucks brand in India from 457 stores to 1000 by 2027-28, despite losses of $36 Million.

Does RBI think they will find someone else better to take over a franchise with less than attractive financial performance? 

A Chinese retailer that sells Japanese-themed lifestyle products. They currently operate in more than 100 countries with 6500+ locations. Very smart merchandising with licensing tie-ups with Disney, Sanrio, Harry Potter, and many others.

These so-called "Promoter Buy-backs" are becoming increasingly more common as Funds reach their expiry life and investors seek the return of their locked-up capital.

This is another unfortunate example of what can happen when second-tier brands enter international markets where their menus face lower usage frequency and an established first-tier competitor is already deeply entrenched in the market.

I have recommended strategic low-risk M&A to many of my large USA restaurant clients as the best way to penetrate international markets.

It was a pleasure to be invited back to Johnathan Maze's popular restaurant podcast, A Deeper Dive. We talked about the state of international development and particularly the state of the industry in China, where a number of U.S. chains have suddenly struggled but are still intent on growing there.

Some news out of Australia. The Carl's Jr. Master Franchisee is going into voluntary administration impacting its 24 locations. Australia is a really tough operating environment for restaurant chains, and even more challenging for late to market entrants.

Interesting news out of China with RBI's purchase of Popeye's China restaurants from Tim's China for $I5 Million. RBI is also partnering with Cartesian Capital Group to pour an additional $50 Million into the beverage business.

The SPC owned chain is partnering with the Italian based coffee chain, Pascucci, to open stores in the land of coffee and bakery.

The growth of the Korean manufacturing sector during the past 40 years has been remarkable, but can we say the same about the F&B sector? Fast forward to 2024, it's worth taking a look back at what F&B concepts have been successful in Korea.

They are looking to increase store count to 500 locations in the USA. Currently, there are 72 company-owned Jollibee locations there. Foreign restaurant brands have historically performed poorly in the US market and a brand with a Filipino heritage is not exactly a household name outside of Asian communities.

I was truly surprised after reviewing the 2023 financial results for Luckin Coffee. The company did far better than I expected given the intensely competitive and price-sensitive coffee market in China.

There are many attractive reasons for considering the franchising model but all too often restaurant operators think it is a panacea for their long term success without recognizing all the pitfalls. Let’s discuss here both the pros and cons of franchising to see it is the right model for your business.

There has been a lot of discussion the past few years regarding virtual brands and their role in the restaurant industry. Some people viewed them as one of the solutions to declining restaurant sales as a result of the pandemic, while others felt they would be a distraction in the kitchen and likely cannibalize normal business. Now that we have witnessed 3+ years of this virtual brand experiment, we can safely make some general conclusions about their overall impact on restaurant operations.

There are many examples of ghost kitchens which failed all over the USA in the past 1-2 years. So, does this mean that ghost kitchens are a bad business model or are these companies just doing it wrong?

There are many examples of ghost kitchens which failed all over the USA in the past 1-2 years. So, does this mean that ghost kitchens are a bad business model or are these companies just doing it wrong?