The year 2015 was not a terribly monumental 12 months for new financing ideas. Instead, it was an overall dynamic market, a continuation of current trends and an acceleration of competition because of the…
Restaurant owners constantly need to evolve their concepts and update their facilities. Owners are aware of this fact and accept this as part of ongoing success. I wish the same could be said about…
No one could be sadder than I am about the recent closures of three fine-dining restaurants in Minneapolis. Not only was I a frequent and extremely satisfied guest over the years, but I also…
Equipment leasing was one of the earliest forms of financing for restaurants, used typically to fund furniture, fixtures, equipment and, at times, leaseholds. I got involved in franchise and restaurant finance in 1980, and…
This is the last in a series of three articles examining the reasons why lenders and investors like the restaurant industry. The first article was about equity investors, drawing insight from three private equity…
In October’s Foodservice News, Dennis Monroe reviews Nighthawks Diner, opened recently by the creator of the North Loop’s successful restaurant Haute Dish. Assessment of Nighthawks Diner’s overall business proposition leads Dennis to conclude that…
Last month we discussed why sophisticated investors like to invest in restaurants. This month, with the help of my partner Randy Evans, we are asking the question, “Why are more commercial banks getting into…
In his review column for the September 2015 issue of Foodservice News, Dennis Monroe takes a look at the business proposition behind two Italian concepts, Parella and Lela, opening in previously hot-then-cold Twin Cities…
I’m often asked why sophisticated investors invest in the restaurant space, so I queried three individuals who all have extensive experience in restaurant investing—Jeff Brock, a long-time veteran financier, now managing partner of Hargett…
