Taco Bell is on the fast track toward 10,000 U.S. restaurants, and it’s doing so through a variety of innovative store designs. The latest iteration is part of a familiar trend in the quick-service industry—drive-thru and pickup only. The restaurant,… Read More
Less than a year ago, Wendy’s lifted the lid on its Global Next Gen restaurant design standard. CFO Gunther Plosch had recently walked the prototype and told investors the company was “embracing digital in our design” with a model that… Read More
The U.S. commercial real estate industry’s ability to get credit and, therefore, fortunes have strong ties to the 4,648 insured banks (according to the FDIC) in the country that provide about 38.6% of CRE loans. Anything that negatively affects the… Read More
Ground leases are stepping out of the shadows of commercial real estate buildings and commanding more attention from both buyers and sellers looking for alternative funding sources. Ground leases run the gamut from the land underneath fast food restaurants to… Read More
The minutes from the July Federal Market Open Committee meeting were what has become a trademark mix of acknowledgement that inflation might be slowing along with warning that if it does not, future rate hikes are still possible. First, some… Read More
Burger King’s $400 million “Reclaim the Flame” strategy is seeing early wins, but positive traffic isn’t one of them—at least not yet. Restaurant Brands International CEO Josh Kobza called it “slightly negative,” although the metric improved sequentially. The executive said he… Read More
Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs described Taco Bell’s growth formula as “magic,” but the subsequent results are very much real. The brand was recently named one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential Companies of 2023. The chain also successfully took down… Read More
A new Federal Reserve report noted that banks continue to get nervous overall and in particular about commercial real estate. “Regarding loans to businesses, survey respondents reported, on balance, tighter standards and weaker demand for commercial and industrial (C&I) loans… Read More
In making the case for an allocation to real estate in an investment portfolio, one of the oft-cited arguments is real estate’s ability to generate income. Historically, U.S. public equity REITs have provided attractive and reliable income streams to investors,… Read More
Within the past year, the top quick-service chains experienced a mix of challenges and opportunities as they navigated the ever-changing landscape of foodservice. These brands, known for fast and convenient dining experiences, had to adapt to shifting consumer preferences, technological… Read More