PUBLISHED ARTICLES

A New Dynamic for Restaurant Profitability

A discussion of the financial aspects of the restaurant industry would not be complete without a look at market trends and new market segments. As the model of creating profitable restaurants continues to evolve,…

Limiting Your Exposure to Drive-By Lawsuits

(The following article was published in the January/February 2017 issue of Proof, a magazine published by the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association) During the last several years, hundreds of Minnesota businesses have fallen victim to…

Urban Chic: In Downtown East Minneapolis, McKinney Roe has made a sizeable investment in the future

At first glance, the beautiful new McKinney Roe may not be a bean counter’s dream, but it has a lot going for it that doesn’t take a spreadsheet to uncover. While those of us…

Why Is There a Disconnect in Selling Prices?

2016 was an interesting year in restaurant finance. All the year’s action—the growing impact of activist shareholders, changes at the SBA franchise registry, the overall beating in casual dining’s performance and yet, new finance…

Viking Value: Call it Nordic or Barbarian barbecue, Erik the Red is a smorgasbord of meats and sides

It’s not often you can walk into a restaurant and instantly know it’s going to be a success. Erik the Red, developed by Erik Forsberg out of the old Hubert’s space in what is…

Hotel Dining’s Future: Urbana’s three-in-one concept allows guests to decide how and where they want to dine

Talking with Chef Paul Lynch of the Urbana Craeft Kitchen & Market in the Hyatt Regency near Mall of America made the whole restaurant come alive for me. His version of a three-in-one concept…

What is the Future of Restaurant Companies?

Iconic restaurant companies are unique to the U.S. restaurant industry. Every major U.S. city has restaurant companies that have developed multi-brands and have established a special position in the city, like Union Square Hospitality…

Finding Revenue Under the Rocks

My last few columns have dealt with non-traditional restaurant venues. What is significant about them is they create more revenue sources. It is not that people, if they had their druthers, wouldn’t prefer traditional…

Profit Center Prowess: Mucci’s Italian in St. Paul has a true modern-day restaurant business plan for sustainability

I had difficulty finding Mucci’s the first time. There is no signage on the building, only something small in the window stating its name and the hours. I had already read a number of…

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