Private equity firms are on a buying binge, snapping up giant restaurant franchise groups at high speed. Rather than targeting entire restaurant chains, they’re devouring the franchisees who run huge blocks of locations.
The appeal is obvious. Franchise portfolios are cash machines with a built-in growth engine. Investors get three easy wins: boost performance at existing units, open new stores and buy out other franchisees in the same system. And because these operators already know the business cold, PE money can scale them at high speed.
Sellers are lining up, too, especially in hot categories like Mexican fast casual, chicken, and anything drive-thru.
Verizon Cuts Over 13,000 Jobs as New CEO Launches Major Makeover
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Verizon is laying off more than 13,000 employees as it begins a sweeping restructuring under new CEO Dan Schulman. The cuts—largely outside the company’s unionized workforce—come as the telecom giant says its existing cost structure limits investment in customer-facing services.
Schulman framed the move as a full-throttle “reorientation,” saying Verizon must simplify operations and eliminate friction that frustrates users just as rivals step up their game.
The job reductions account for about 20 % of Verizon’s non-union managerial ranks, marking the company’s largest-ever layoff. A $20 million Reskilling and Career Transition Fund is being set up to help affected employees adapt.
Paramount Is Back on the Auction Block. Who Will Buy It?
Ethan Swope/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Paramount Global is up for grabs again, and some of the biggest names in media are lining up. According to The New York Times, companies ranging from Warner Bros. Discovery to Comcast to Netflix are interested as the studio looks for a buyer willing to take it on. The company’s assets — from CBS to Paramount Pictures to its vast film and TV library — make it one of the last major prizes in Hollywood.
The challenge is figuring out what Paramount is worth. Its cable channels are losing subscribers, and its streaming service still burns cash. That makes any bid a complicated bet on whether a buyer can squeeze value out of legacy assets while restarting growth in a crowded streaming market.
Still, analysts expect a sale. With consolidation sweeping the industry and scale becoming essential, the question isn’t whether Paramount will be sold — it’s which giant ends up writing the check.
Private equity firms are on a buying binge, snapping up giant restaurant franchise groups at high speed. Rather than targeting entire restaurant chains, they’re devouring the franchisees who run huge blocks of locations.
The appeal is obvious. Franchise portfolios are cash machines with a built-in growth engine. Investors get three easy wins: boost performance at existing units, open new stores and buy out other franchisees in the same system. And because these operators already know the business cold, PE money can scale them at high speed.
Sellers are lining up, too, especially in hot categories like Mexican fast casual, chicken, and anything drive-thru.
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