Biography

Jonathan Maze

Editor-in-Chief

 Contact Jonathan

Restaurant Business Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze is a longtime industry journalist who writes about restaurant finance, mergers and acquisitions and the economy, with a particular focus on quick-service restaurants. He writes daily about the factors influencing the operating environment, including labor and food costs and various industry trends such as technology and delivery.

Jonathan has been widely quoted in media publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post and has appeared on CNBC, Yahoo Finance and NPR. He writes a weekly finance-focused newsletter for Restaurant Business, The Bottom Line, and is the host of the weekly podcast “A Deeper Dive.”

Articles by
Jonathan Maze

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Operations

Menu price inflation catches up with the grocery store

For the first time in a year and a half, the annual increase in prices for food away from home exceeded inflation at retail food outlets.

Operations

Inflation cools, but not in foodservice

The Consumer Price Index declined in November, but restaurant menu prices continued to increase.

The giant distributor says it sees no evidence of a recession on its business, but it's preparing for one, anyway.

Much of that jump is due to sharply higher prices in school lunch programs, as many states have ended free meals for students.

The third-party deliverer just announced a decade-long partnership with autonomous vehicle company Nuro.

Food away-from-home inflation was 7.6% last month, and prices held steady at both full-service and limited-service concepts.

Foot traffic data shows improvements in the number of people in downtown areas and office buildings, but it remains far below pre-pandemic levels.

Prices on full-service menus rose 8.9% on an annual basis, while limited-service prices increased 7.4%.

More than eight in 10 consumers say they are cutting back on restaurant visits as evidence of spending shifts continues to grow.

Full-service menu prices rose 8% year over year and limited-service prices jumped 7.2%, while grocery prices increased 10%.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects commodity costs to continue increasing this year, sending menu prices skyward.

The foodservice operator has told at least 3,000 employees in airports around the U.S. that their layoffs could turn permanent in October.

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