Main Squeeze Juice Co. acquires I Love Juice Bar

The deal will almost double Main Squeeze’s unit count of 28 stores and give it a strong presence in Texas and Tennessee. 

By Julie Littman • March 28, 2023

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill acquired by private equity firm

Garnett Station Partners bought the polished-casual chain, which has 56 locations in 20 states, with plans to help it accelerate growth. 

By Julie Littman • March 27, 2023

Toast buys Delphi Display Systems adding to QSR product suite

Delphi offers digital display and drive-thru technology designed for QSRs and comes a year after Toast bought Sling to enhance employee scheduling. 

By Julie Littman • Feb. 16, 2023

How Chowly’s Koala buy will broaden online ordering access for SMBs

With Koala’s enterprise-level digital ordering capabilities, Chowly will be able to offer a user-facing tool for its small and mid-size restaurant clients. 

By Julie Littman • Feb. 2, 2023

Chowly makes first acquisition with Koala buy

The purchase adds machine learning capabilities to Chowly’s platform, allowing it to give recommendations to restaurants to increase digital basket sizes.

By Julie Littman • Feb. 1, 2023

Subway reportedly mulling $10B sale

This price tag would near Inspire’s mammoth $11.4 billion purchase of Dunkin’ in 2020, but it may be difficult to find a restaurant or private equity buyer in uncertain economic times. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Jan. 12, 2023

The 10 biggest restaurant deals of 2022

Expensive capital and inflationary pressure slowed M&A last year, with both private equity firms and restaurant groups pausing their acquisition goals. 

By Julie Littman • Jan. 3, 2023

Distressed deals, QSR buys may drive 2023 restaurant M&A

Buyers are attracted to models with strong off-premise sales that require lower building expenses and fewer employees, experts said.

By Julie Littman • Jan. 3, 2023

Chipotle targets Gen Z with wellness Snapchat Lens, menu items

To address how Gen Z and millennials approach wellness, the chain is focused on convenience and mobile gamification.

By Aaron Baar • Jan. 3, 2023

Inspire sells Rusty Taco to Gala Capital Partners

The restaurant, which has grown its footprint 50% since Inspire acquired it in 2018, will retain its current management team. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Dec. 21, 2022

Freshii sells to Foodtastic for $54.5M

Cash-strapped Freshii, which operates 37 U.S. locations out of 330-plus North American stores, marks Foodtastic’s second restaurant buy this month. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Dec. 19, 2022

Dine Brands to buy Fuzzy’s Taco Shop for $80M

The acquisition is the first for Dine Brands since it was founded in 2007, and adds a third restaurant to its portfolio. 

By Julie Littman • Dec. 5, 2022

MTY Food Group buys Wetzel’s Pretzels for $207M

The purchase of the pretzel chain, which aims to reach 400 units by 2023, follows MTY’s acquisition of BBQ Holdings in September.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 2, 2022

First Watch launches a secondary IPO

The move comes weeks after Portillo’s announced a secondary offering, and may signal increasing confidence in the market after a slow IPO year.

By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 14, 2022

BBQ Holdings to be acquired by MTY Food Group for $200M

The transaction will add nine brands to the Canada-based company and allow it to further expand its U.S. portfolio, which also includes Papa Murphy’s. 

By Julie Littman • Aug. 9, 2022

Butterfly Equity to buy Qdoba, fold it into Modern Restaurant Concepts

With the addition of the Mexican fast casual chain, Modern Restaurant Concepts expects growth potential to reach 3,000 units across brands. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Aug. 9, 2022

7-Eleven reportedly acquires delivery startup, intends to compete with DoorDash

The c-store giant bought Skipcart, which provides same-day and on-demand delivery, according to The Information. 

By Brett Dworski • Aug. 8, 2022

Ampex Brands acquires American bistro concept Bellagreen

The franchise group plans to introduce the eight-unit chain in every major metro area, Ampex CEO Tabbassum Mumtaz said.

By Alicia Kelso • July 25, 2022

Denny's completes $82.5M acquisition of Keke's Breakfast Cafe

The breakfast chain, which has 52 locations in Florida, is expected to provide expansion opportunities as a complementary concept for Denny’s.

By Julie Littman • July 21, 2022

Grubhub, Amazon partner to expand Grubhub+ membership

Amazon will be given warrants worth 2% in Grubhub shares, and access to additional shares if it brings more customers to Grubhub.

By Julie Littman • July 6, 2022

Panera terminates agreement with Danny Meyer's SPAC

Due to unfavorable capital market conditions, Panera Brands and USHG Acquisition Corp. ended their relationship Friday. Panera said it will continue to explore a public listing if conditions improve.

By Julie Littman • July 1, 2022

Grubhub CEO: A strong partnership is preferred as company mulls future

Just Eat Takeaway is focused on improving its U.S. business, but a sale isn’t off the table, Grubhub CEO Adam DeWitt said at the Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum.

By Julie Littman • Updated June 29, 2022

Chicken Salad Chick inks franchise deals as it targets 500 units by 2025

The fast casual chain signed two agreements that will bring 16 more locations to Texas, with plans to open about 50 restaurants nationwide this year. 

By Julie Littman • June 22, 2022

Lunchbox acquires NovaDine to improve offerings for enterprise chains

The transaction will enable restaurants to manage digital guest experiences from a single operating system and increase Lunchbox’s scale.  

By Alicia Kelso • June 8, 2022

Fat Brands to buy Nestle Toll House Cafe, bolstering its dessert category

Fat plans to turn Nestle Toll House Cafe's 85 units into Great American Cookies locations after the acquisition closes. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

By Julie Littman • May 25, 2022