To Our Valued Subscribers: I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween. My Bears are playing football like the walking dead. The Washington Nationals are the World Series Champs and my Cubs have hired Grandpa Ross as their next manager. Can it get any better? As the calendar flips to November we start… read more

Cracker Barrel is dipping deeper into the fast-casual industry. The casual leader announced Friday it’s agreed to acquire 33-unit Maple Street Biscuit Company in an all-cash transaction for $36 million. Founded 2012 in Jacksonville, Florida, by Scott Moore and Gus Evans, the emerging brand has 28 corporate and five franchised units. The stores report targeted… read more

The “Billion Dollar Buyer,” who built Landry’s in part by acquiring chains such as Morton’s The Steakhouse, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Claim Jumper when their valuations were cheap or the companies were in bankruptcy, is on the prowl again, with a $37 million bid for Restaurants Unlimited. Landry’s is the “stalking horse,” or lead… read more

A new Atlanta-based franchising company is looking to grow small, emerging restaurant brands. Empire Franchise Group is the new entity from the merger of holding companies operated by Dennis McKinley of Detroit Equities and Greg George of Rising Phoenix Group. The deal will pull seven restaurant brands under the Empire umbrella, including Buzzed Bull Creamery,… read more

To Our Valued Subscribers: Here it is the middle of August and the summer is almost coming to a close. How fast has it gone? My Cubs are hanging onto first place in the Central Division by a thread and the Mets have been resurrected; what a season! Pro and college football seasons are around… read more

Takeaway.com is in takeover talks with rival Just Eat Plc, a $5.3 billion deal that would mark a fight against rivals including Uber Technologies Inc. The food delivery industry in Europe has been a battleground, with rivals competing on prices and copying each other’s business models. The all-share deal that’s being considered from Takeaway is… read more

To Our Valued Subscribers: Here it is only a few days until “The Big Show” and my team and I look forward to seeing many industry veterans and making new industry contacts. Thanks to the many of you who have booked appointments with us and have set up face to face interviews to meet your… read more

C.H. Guenther & Son L.L.C. has acquired Mid South Baking Co., supplier of buns and English muffins to quick-service restaurants in the southern United States. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1978, Mid South provides buns and English muffins to 3,500 McDonald’s restaurants in 18 states. The company operates two baking… read more

Chef and restaurateur José Andrés is scheduled to bring a brick-and-mortar location of his Spanish sandwich food truck concept Pepe to Disney Springs at the Walt Disney Resort in Florida, the company said. Andrés is planning to open Pepe — which will be attached to the upcoming sixth location of his casual-dining concept Jaleo —… read more