John Hamburger, President of the Franchise Times, joins us to share what he’s seeing across the restaurant industry as both operators and investors face a shifting economic landscape in 2025.
 
With decades of experience covering restaurant finance and franchising, John breaks down the core challenges brands are facing right now — from declining traffic and rising prices to off-premise dynamics, labor pressure, and the growing divide between chains that scale and those that stall. He explains why deals like Jersey Mike’s $8B valuation coexist with declining sales at household names, and how the best operators are adapting through value plays, digital ordering, loyalty, and operational creativity.
 
We talk about what’s working, what’s breaking, and what it’s going to take to stay relevant in a time of contraction and change.
Chapters
(00:00:12) - Handling The Heat(00:01:10) - John Gross on the Current State of the Franchise Industry(00:02:03) - Restaurant Operators' Outlook for 2025(00:03:33) - Restaurant Traffic Challenged(00:06:34) - Operational Challenges and Restaurant Valuations(00:09:11) - Lower-Income Customers at Restaurants(00:11:53) - McDonald's vs. Chili's: What's the Fix?(00:20:19) - Restaurants Adjust to Changes in the Customer Mindset(00:24:13) - Starting a Restaurant: How to Get Started(00:27:06) - The Future of the Restaurant Business

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