The latest pressure to raise employee wages arrives at an�inopportune time for McDonald's� (NYSE: MCD ) and its legion of franchisees. Fast-casual chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill are increasingly threatening the company's business, and all is not well within the kingdom of the Golden Arches. Relations�are tense between�the corporate base and its independently owned restaurants, with franchisees dissatisfied by low margins on an increasingly complex menu, an abundance of�promotional expenditures, and renovation�costs.
A corporate-dictated increase of wages at McDonald's restaurants would almost certainly put additional burdens on franchisees. The company could offer owner-operators a financial cushion during a transitional period, but this strategy might prove damaging to McDonald's financials and its stock.
These complications, and others, give McDonald's and its franchisees plenty of incentive to take a wait-and-see approach on the wage issue, but the company might also have strong reasons to get out in front of the mounting controversy and raise employee pay ahead of anything federal or state governments might do.
5 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Burger King Worldwide Inc (BKW)
Burger King Worldwide, Inc., incorporated on April 2, 2012, is a fast food hamburger restaurant, under the Burger King brand. The Company generates revenues from three sources: franchise revenues, consisting primarily of royalties based on a percentage of sales reported by franchise restaurants and fees paid by franchisees; property income from properties that it leases or subleases to franchisees, and retail sales at Company restaurants. In September 2012, it sold 41 Company-owned BURGER KING restaurants in Singapore to Rancak Selera Sdn Bhd. As of December 31, 2012, it owned or franchised a total of 12,997 restaurants in 86 countries and United States territories. In April 2013, it announced the sale of Burger King Restaurants of Canada (BKRC), including 94 Company owned BURGER KING restaurants in the Canada market to Redberry Investments Corp.
The Company operates in the FFHR category of the quick service restaurant (QSR), segment of the restaurant industry. In the United States, the QSR segment is the segment of the restaurant industry and has demonstrated steady growth over a long period of time. The Company launched four new menu platforms (salads, wraps, smoothies and desserts) and expanded its chicken, coffee and ancillary menu platforms. It has established a data driven marketing process, which is focused on driving restaurant sales and traffic, while targeting a broader consumer base with more inclusive messaging to reach women, parties with children and seniors.
United States and Canada (U.S. and Canada)
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 7,293 franchise restaurants and 183 Company restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company refranchised 752 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, bringing the region to 98% franchised. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it also continued to implement its Four Pillars strategy to improve comparable sales growth and franchise profitability by enhancing its Menu, Marke! ting Communications, Image, and Operations.
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 2,989 franchise restaurants and 132 Company restaurants in EMEA. While in Germany continues with 684 restaurants as of December 31, 2012, Turkey and Russia are two of its growing markets with net openings of 78 restaurants and 47 restaurants, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2012.
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 1,290 franchise and 100 Company restaurants in LAC. In 2011, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Vinci Partners for Brazil and granted franchise and development rights to the joint venture. The Company received a minority stake and board seats in the joint venture without deploying its own capital.
Asia Pacific (APAC)
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 1,007 franchise and 3 Company restaurants in APAC. As of December 31, 2012,the Company had 357 restaurants in Australia. It contributed 44 Company restaurants in China. In September 2012, the Company sold 38restaurants to Rancak Selera, the Burger King franchisee in Malaysia.
The Company competes with McDonald�� Corporation, Wendy�� Company, Carl�� Jr., Jack in the Box and Sonic.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Riddhi Kharkia]
While CEO Don Thompson has tried attracting customers with free coffee and new burgers and chicken sandwiches, the competition also has been introducing new fare. Burger King Worldwide Inc. has recently started selling new $1 sandwiches, while Taco Bell is now selling breakfast items, such as sausage burritos, nationwide. On the other hand, McDonald�� dividend already offers a yield of 3.2%, which is far better than Burger King�� (BKW) 1.1% and Wendy�� (WEN) 2.4%.
- [By Patrick M. Sheridan]
Workers from fast food giants like McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500), Burger King (BKW), Wendy's (WEN) and Yum! Brands (YUM, Fortune 500), owner of KFC, have been walking of their jobs, calling on employers to pay them a minimum wage of $15 an hour and allow them to form unions without retaliation.
Best Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2014: Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc (FRGI)
Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (Fiesta Restaurant Group), incorporated on April 27, 2011, owns, operates and franchises two fast-casual restaurant brands, Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants offer a range of tropical and Caribbean inspired food, while the Company's Taco Cabana restaurants offers a range of fresh, authentic Mexican food. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company owned and operated a total of 251 restaurants across four states, which included 91 Pollo Tropical and 160 Taco Cabana restaurants. The Company franchises its Pollo Tropical restaurants internationally. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company had 35 franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants located in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Honduras, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama and on several college campuses in Florida. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company had eight Taco Cabana franchised restaurants located in Georgia, New Mexico and Texas.
Pollo Tropical
The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants offer tropical and Caribbean inspired menu items, featuring grilled chicken marinated in the Company's blend of tropical fruit juices and spices. The Company's diverse menu also includes a line of TropiChops (a casserole bowl of grilled chicken, roast pork or grilled vegetables served over white, brown or yellow rice and red or black beans and topped with a range of condiments and sauces), a range of chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, roast pork, grilled ribs and wings offered with a range of salsas, sauces and Caribbean style made from scratch side dishes, including black beans and rice, Yucatan fries and sweet plantains, as well as menu items, such as french fries, corn and salads. The Company also offers Hispanic desserts, such as flan and tres leches, and at certain locations, the Company offers a range of sangria, wine and beer.
The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants feature signature dining areas. In additiona, the Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants ! provide its guests the option of take-out, as well as the convenience of drive-thru windows. The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants are open for lunch, dinner and late night orders seven days per week. As of December 30, 2012, its company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants were freestanding buildings. The Company's typical free-standing Pollo Tropical restaurant ranges from 2,800 to 3,500 square feet and provide interior seating for approximately 70 guests. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company owned and operated a total of 91 Pollo Tropical restaurants, of which 89 were located in Florida and two were located in Georgia. The Company is franchising its Pollo Tropical restaurants internationally. As of December 30, 2012, the Company had 35 franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants located in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Honduras, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama and on college campuses in Florida. The Company also has agreements for the future development of franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants in Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Guatemala and India.
Taco Cabana
The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants serve Mexican food, including flame-grilled beef and chicken fajitas served on sizzling iron skillets, quesadillas, hand-rolled flautas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, fresh-made flour tortillas, a selection of made from scratch salsas and sauces, customizable salads served in a Cabana bowl, traditional Mexican and American breakfasts and other Mexican dishes. The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants also offer a range of beverage choices, including soft drinks, frozen margaritas and beer.
The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants feature interior dining areas, as well as semi-enclosed and outdoor patio areas. In addition, the Company's Taco Cabana restaurants provide its guests the option of take-out. The Company's freestanding Taco Cabana restaurants average approximately 3,500 square feet (exclusive of the exterior dining area) and provide seating for approximatel! y 80 gues! ts, with additional outside patio seating for approximately 50 guests. As of December 30, 2012, its company-owned Taco Cabana restaurants were freestanding buildings. As of December 30, 2012, the Company owned and operated 160 Taco Cabana restaurants, of which 156 are located in Texas and four in Oklahoma.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Fiesta Restaurant Group (Nasdaq: FRGI ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By GURUFOCUS]
Fiesta Restaurant Group (FRGI) was the Fund's best performing position in the fourth quarter and for all of 2013. Over the past year the stock g ained over 240 percent and added 212 basis points of return. The fast-food chain has con tinued to restructure after spinning off Burger King restaurants and is now successfully ach ieving organic growth. We continue to believe the stock is undervalued and expect further growth ahead.
Best Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2014: Blue Water Global Group Inc (BLUU)
Blue Water Global Group, Inc. (Blue Water), incorporated on March 3, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses on developing a chain of casual dining restaurants in tourist destinations throughout the Caribbean region. The Company's initial restaurant is going to be called Blue Water Bar & Grill and will be located in St. Maarten, Dutch West Indies.
As of February 7, 2013, the Company did not operate any restaurant properties, and did not have any ownership or leaseholds in any restaurant properties. As of February 7, 2013, the Company did not have any ownership or leaseholds in any restaurant properties.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks Naturalnano Inc (OTCMKTS: NNAN), Global Payout, Inc (OTCMKTS: GOHE) and Blue Water Global Group Inc (OTCBB: BLUU) were either jumping higher or diving lower yesterday. To complicate matters for investors, two of these small cap stocks have been subjects of disclosures about paid promotion or investor relation campaigns. So what will these three small caps do for the rest of this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide on a trading or investing strategy:
Best Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2014: Sodexo SA (SW)
Sodexo SA, (formerly Sodexho Alliance SA), is a global provider of services in three primary business areas: The On-site Services Solutions offer various services that range from food services to construction management, reception to the maintenance of scanners and laboratory equipment, management of data centers, leisure cruises and provides housekeeping to rehabilitation services at correctional facilities. The Motivation Solutions division provides passes and vouchers, comprising Restaurant Pass, Gift Pass, Sport Pass, Training Voucher, Service Card and Book Card, among others. The Company also provides Personal and Home Services in the form of childcare, tutoring, concierge services and in-home service care facilities. The Company is present in 80 countries in a number of geographic areas, such as North America, South America, Continental Europe and United Kingdom and Ireland. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Glenwoods]
Recently giant food conglomerate, Cargill announced it had partnered with the Swiss biosynthetic pharmaceutical company, Evolva (EVE:SW), to develop a more consistent and less expensive stevia sweetener via Evolva�� microbial fermentation-based process.� This is big news for the future of stevia because a microbial fermentation-based process does not have to rely on soil conditions or weather, and stevia can be manufactured anywhere, thus having the potential of guaranteeing an endless supply line of stevia.� Through the microbial fermentation, the manufacturer has the capability to process the key sweet individual components of stevia using low-cost plant sugars, and allows for the individual components of stevia, regardless of how minute, to be developed creating blends in any volume, which then could open the door for these manufacturers to fine-tune its stevia to local tastes.� But what would be most attractive is that, because the fermentation process does not require the entire plant, the method could conceivably shave upwards of 70% off the cost of producing stevia extracts.�
Best Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2014: Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co Ltd (CCSC)
Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd. (CSC Cayman), incorporated on August 14, 2007, is a quick service restaurant chain in China. The Company offers delicious, everyday Chinese food. The Company conducts all of its restaurant operations through CSC China and its subsidiaries. As of June 30, 2012, it had 256 restaurants, including 124 restaurants in Chongqing municipality and 85 restaurants in Sichuan province.
Chongqing municipality and Sichuan province cover a region of 110 million people in Southwest China. CSC Cayman directly operates all of its restaurants. Its standard menu features its main dishes prepared in the Sichuan style, as well as a selection of other dishes, appetizers, desserts and beverages. The Company periodically offers new dishes and seasonal menu selections.
The Company competes with McDonald��, KFC and Yoshinoya.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd (NYSE:CCSC), a fast-growing quick service restaurant chain in China, plans to release its unaudited second quarter 2012 financial results on Tuesday, August 14, 2012, after the market closes.
Best Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2014: Habit Restaurants Inc (HABT)
The Habit Restaurants, Inc. is a fast-casual restaurant company. The Company is engaged in preparing char-grilled burgers and sandwiches. The Company offers tri-tip steak, grilled chicken and sushi-grade albacore tuna cooked over an open flame. In addition, it offers prepared salads and a selection of sides, shakes and malts. The Company prepares its burgers with char-grilled preparation, topped with caramelized onions and fresh produce. The Company offers burgers, paired with fries, and offers a range of non-burger items, such as grilled albacore sandwich made with sushi-grade tuna, grilled chicken sandwich topped with crisp bacon and ripe avocado, Cobb salad, offered with a variety of dressings, and tempura green beans. As of October 20, 2014, the Company operates 99 restaurants in 10 markets in four states. The Company has operations in California, including Bay area, Central California, Greater La, Inland Empire, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego; Arizona; Utah and New Jersey. The Company�� wholly-owned subsidiaries include The Habit Restaurants, LLC and the Continuing LLC.
The Company�� Char burgers menu includes Double Char burger, Mushroom Swiss Char, Teriyaki Char burger, Barbecue (BBQ) Bacon Char burger and Santa Barbara Style. Its Sandwich menu includes Chicken, Tri-tip, Albacore Tuna, Veggie burger, Chicken club and Pastrami. It offers a range of salads, including Garden salad, Grilled chicken salad, Grille Chicken Caesar and BBQ chicken salad. In addition, it offers a range of shakes and malts, which consists of Shakes, including chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mocha, coffee flavors; Malts, including chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mocha, coffee flavors; Cones and Sundaes, including Vanilla ice cream, Hershey's chocolate, whipped cream and nuts. Additionally, it offers French fries, Onion rings, Sweet potato fries, Side salad, Side Caesar salad, Tempura green beans, Chicken nuggets and Grilled cheese.
The Company�� restaurants are furnished with natural l! ight, hardwood accents, polished stone countertops and a dining area featuring vinyl booths, high-top tables and community table seating. The Company offers destination for a range of occasions, including lunch options, after-school hangouts, a social venue and restaurant for families. The Company also provides Habit Trucks to provide Char burgers at events. Each truck is equipped with a kitchen, digital menu board, and sound system. The Habit Truck can book with a food minimum of approximately $1250 regardless of the guest count.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
christianz1969/Flickr Americans lately have been transferring their love of fast-casual restaurant food to stocks of companies in the segment. Late last month, "better burger" specialist The Habit Restaurants (HABT) launched an initial public offering that doubled in price within hours of hitting the market. Like a meal from one of The Habit's more traditional fast-food rivals, though, the feeling of satisfaction didn't last: The shares started to drop after the initial euphoria. But that isn't stopping other fast-casual operators from listing on the exchange. They're finding, though, what works in the kitchen isn't necessarily successful on the market. IPOh Yes IPOs of fast-casual chain operators are coming to the market faster than you can get a refill at a soda machine. This year alone has seen the market debut not only of The Habit, but also the Mediterranean-flavored Zoe's Kitchen (ZOES) and West Coast chicken griller El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO), among others. Like The Habit, the stocks of the latter two saw impressive first-day rises (although they didn't pop quite as high as those of the burger purveyor). Why the excitement? Some of it can certainly be ascribed to the IPO market itself, which has had a frothy year. As of this writing, 262 companies have gone public, a 25 percent rise over the same period of 2013. In terms of total proceeds from IPOs, 2014 is set to be the best year for at least the past decade. Building a Better Burrito But likely a bigger factor is that the fast-casual segment has one great model that investors are hoping the newcomers can at least partially replicate -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG). Since going public in 2006, the stock of the now-ubiquitous chain has gone through the roof. Its IPO was priced at $22 a share and doubled in its first day of trading. Since then, its shares have ballooned -- at the moment, they trade at nearly $660, for a hard-to-believe 2,900-plus-percent rise from the issue price. It's not t
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