The Restaurant Boiler Room: Recent Episodes
Rick Ormsby
The Restaurant Boiler Room is a one-stop-shop for multi-million dollar merger and acquisition activity and financial complexities pressuring the franchise restaurant industry. We talk money, deals, valuations and risk – delivered to the front door of franchisees, private equity firms, family offices, large investors and franchisors across the world on an every-otherweek basis. It is unlike any other restaurant or franchise podcast.
Managing Director of Unbridled Capital Rick Ormsby is joined by Director Derek Ball, Senior Manager Peter Fisher and Associate Raymond Buehner to discuss the mid-year M&A market and what you can expect for the 2nd half of 2026.
Topics discussed will include:
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Considerations when doing a deal in the 2nd half of 2026
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Commentary on current supply and demand for buying and selling
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Lending, Cap Rates, EBITDA multiples
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Thoughts on inflation, sales forecasting, and timing a sale
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Examples of real-time issues affecting M&A transactions
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Managing Director Rick Ormsby will be going through a sample discussion from a theoretical client who calls in to ask about selling their company. We will go through the main questions, a sample first call valuation range, and the timing and process to sell their business. This is a very common phone call that we have many times each year, so we hope you find it insightful.Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!
Managing Director of Unbridled Capital, Rick Ormsby, is joined by Brad Cashman & Tim Ring from Monroe Moxness Berg PA (MMB) to discuss legislation changes, deal changes, purchase agreement changes, and preference changes for your clients.
Managing Director of Unbridled Capital Rick Ormsby is joined by Derek Ball, Peter Fisher, and Raymond Buehner to discuss the state of franchise M&A in 2026.Topics of discussion will include:1. Considerations when doing a deal in 20262. Commentary on current supply and demand for buying and selling3. Lending, Cap Rates, EBITDA multiples4. Thoughts on inflation, sales forecasting, and timing a sale5. Examples of real-time issues affecting M&A transactions
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, we share a panel replay from the 2025 RFDC in Las Vegas. The panel was entitled, "How Leading Investors Assess the Market Opportunity in Franchise Restaurants."
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Managing Director Rick Ormsby will be sharing his personal thoughts on questions asked during a panel discussion at the Restaurant Finance and Development Conference (RFDC). The panel was entitled How Leading Investors Assess the Market Opportunity in Franchise Restaurants. Rick was supposed to be the moderator of this panel but had to cancel his plans. We will put the panel on the Boiler Room platform in December so you can hear the responses of the franchisees who participated soon!
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Managing Director Rick Ormsby is joined by Chris Lomuto from Northmarq to discuss the 2025 real estate market for M&A franchise sales.Topics of discussion will include:1. Supply and demand of franchise real estate now2. Cap rate trends, pricing, days on market3. 1031 market vs REIT buyers4. How is financing getting done?5. Macroeconomic real estate perspectives6. Sector and geographical pricing analysis
Join Managing Director Rick Ormsby with special guests Mike Eagen and Nick Cole as they discuss the following topics:
- Macroeconomic outlook for franchise loans right now?
- How have terms changed?
- How are credit/risk-making decisions right now?
- Which brands are performing well?
- Second-half outlook for rates, leverage, and loan volume
Join Managing Director Rick Ormsby of Unbridled Capital as he discusses the recent survey results from 39 lender responses regarding the state of the union on the current environment for franchise M&A lending as of July 2023.
Managing Director Rick Ormsby gives an update on the Restaurant Finance and Development Conference he recently returned from in Las Vegas. While at RFDC, Rick was a panelist and discussed the inflationary environment and its impact on valuations. In this episode, he also discusses some of his responses from the panel.
Rick Ormsby is joined by Adam Diamond & Tom Scott to discuss:
-How did Tom and Adam decide on franchise ownership? -What brands do they operate and why? -How do they capitalize their businesses? -What are their growth plans? -What are their views on the future, giving the concerns on inflation and recession?
I will be doing a walk down memory lane with M&A patterns from the past 20 years as well as give some reactions from discussions with franchisees at several recent restaurant conventions, I’ll talk about recent M&A transactions completed, and I’ll discuss the impact of the new FAST Act legislation in California.
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Rick Ormsby is joined by Josh Lewis and Chelsea Mandel to discuss franchise real estate updates for 2022.
Some topics of discussion will include:
- macroeconomic picture: how has the real estate market for buyers & sellers changed this year?
- how are terms changing during due diligence?
- what is the impact of rising interest rates on real estate valuations?
- what are current terms for single unit SLB financing and multi-unit SLB financing?
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Rick Ormsby discusses some M&A perspectives in the franchise lending environment, as well discussing deal cyclicality in a calendar year and addresses some real estate valuation considerations in a slowing deal market.
Join Rick Ormsby with special guests Michael Eagen and John Dysart as they discuss the following topics about the lending atmosphere for Q2 of 2022:
- Macroeconomic outlook for franchise loans right now?
- How have terms changed?
- How is credit/risk making decisions right now?
- Which brands are performing well?
- Second half outlook for rates, leverage, and loan volume
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Rick Ormsby is joined by Derek Ball & Tony Petrunin to discuss Q2 M&A with a 15 question countdown.
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Managing Director of Unbridled Capital Rick Ormsby discusses the lifecycle of a brand's turnaround efforts - from distressed, to wildly successful, and back to distressed. He also gives an update on valuations as the unpredictable year progresses. Finally, he talks factors that could be leading us to a recession but might create a favorable supply/demand scenario for sellers who keep producing strong EBITDA while M&A supply lessens.
In season 4 episode 3 of The Restaurant Boiler Room, we unveil the details and negotiations from 2 of Unbridled’s landmark deals closed in 2021. Rick also talks about deal challenges we are seeing in the M&A market in 2022. And we will tackle the question – "What to do if your buyer wants to walk away or re-trade your deal?"
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, join Managing Director Rick Ormsby as he participates in the Franchise Management Guest Speaker Series at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Rick is joined by Jordan Krolick, professor of MGMT 4124.
Listen as he answers questions about his background, personal and professional story, and as he explains how Unbridled Capital operates within the franchise M&A industry.
In the first episode of season 4 of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Rick Ormsby, Managing Director of Unbridled Capital discusses his thoughts on franchise M&A trends for 2022. What does he see changing this year? What does he see staying the same? Find out as we delve into our first episode of 2022!
In this episode, Managing Director of Unbridled Capital, Rick Ormsby, will be answering 10 of the most commonly-asked questions from sellers, buyers, and investors who are fueling the surge in M&A activity in the franchise sector. These questions are wide in scope, so they should provide valuable insights for almost any listener.
Join Managing Director Rick Ormsby, along with Derek Ball and Tony Petrunin from Unbridled Capital, as they discuss:
We answer a series of questions aimed at laying out our 4th Quarter views on the franchise M&A market, due diligence and timing pressures as we approach year end, the lending market on franchise deals right now, an outlook for franchise M&A in 2022, and commentary on brands, segments, and non-restaurant franchising from recent conventions.
In season 3 episode 10 of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Rick Ormsby discusses this month’s view of the M&A landscape, how franchisees are thinking about tax legislation, observations from recent franchise conventions, tough operating conditions right now in the franchise industry, franchisors becoming more involved and aggressive, and what happens when a business starts to underperform during due diligence.
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Rick Ormsby discusses the steps to take to purchase a franchise business internationally.
Rick Ormsby of Unbridled Capital is joined by Apple-Metro CEO Zane Tankel. Tankel talks with Ormsby about the re-emergence of casual dining after the pandemic. Tankel's story is one of perseverance, resilience, and dedication to his company, his staff, and himself.
In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Rick Ormsby discusses the steps needed to compress a deal timeline to meet a year-end closing. With quarter four approaching quickly, learn what steps are needed to close with ease.
Rick shares his YTD perspectives on sales, profits, valuations, real estate, financing, and M&A in the restaurant industry.
What has changed in franchise M&A in the past few months? How is deal flow right now? What is happening to valuations? Are lenders eager or stingy?
Join Rick Ormsby, Derek Ball, and Tony Petrunin, as they discuss these questions among the following topics: 1. Q2 M&A market conditions 2. QSR sales and profit outlook 3. Restaurant valuation update 4. Results from a recent lender survey 5. Real Estate financing update
Join Rick as he talks through: Franchise Times Dealmakers of the Year Award, Q1 reflections and Q2 projections, the current franchise M&A market.
Join Rick and Kevin Hochman, president of KFC U.S. and interim president of Pizza Hut U.S., as they talk brands, trends, and what books are currently on his nightstand.
Barry Dubin of KBP Foods and Mike Cherney of Grand Mere Capital join Rick and discuss the following: 1. General outlook for their brands, QSR, and restaurants for 2021. Best case/worst case? 2. Comments on the impact of political changes on revenues, M&A, and operations. 3. Opinions on franchise M&A activity in 2021. Slowdown or consolidation? 4. How they are approaching acquisitions for 2021. 5. How they come up with a price given big EBITDA lifts. 6. What segments/brands do you like? 7. Post-COVID, what are longer-term trends/changes that might emerge.
Collectively, these two companies own about 1,000 franchise restaurants in the KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell systems. They are among the largest franchisees in the US.
2020 has certainly been an interesting year, hasn't it? Join Rick Ormsby as he discusses both his reflections on the year in the franchise industry and his hopeful outlook moving forward.
How might looming tax changes affect the valuation and timeline of selling your business? Rick Ormsby discusses the following topics and more alongside two tax experts:
- Changes in Your ‘Sale Horizon’
- Shifting Political Landscape
- Looming Tax Changes
- PPP Loan Forgiveness and Taxation
We've all seen the articles regarding how 2020 has affected the restaurant industry, but where does that leave the M&A market? Rick Join Rick Ormsby as he talks with Derek Ball and Tony Petrunin from our team about all they've learned (hint: it's a lot!) from negotiating deals through this unprecedented season.
Your relationship with your lender doesn't stop when you sign on the dotted line. For many reasons, having an understanding of the lender's process and learning how to continue the dialogue could be grossly undervalued in the industry. Join Rick as he discusses the following topics and more with Michael Eagen, a Managing Director in the Franchise Finance Group of BMO Harris Bank:
- A Lender's Internal Process of Issuing a Loan
- Acquiring More Stores
- Syndicated Deals - What is That?
- Covenants and Compliance
- Dangers of Overleverage
- Life-cycle of a Banking Relationship
While some lenders are pulling back, operators still need a robust way to solve for their capital needs – whether they want to acquire, recapitalize, build new units, buy-out partners or create breathing room while waiting for a turnaround.
Richard Fitzgerald and Wade Daniel from CapitalSpring join Rick Ormsby to discuss the following:
- Circumstances when Operators Need Capital
- Methods of Financing a Franchise Business
- How Investors Approach Making Investments in Franchises
- How to Prepare Your Business for an Investor
While bankruptcy isn't something many of us love talking about, for those in the restaurant industry, it's important to have some understanding in your back pocket. Tom Ice and Andrew Stosberg from Middleton Reutlinger Attorneys join Rick Ormsby as they discuss the following topics and more:
- What happens when distress hits
- Chapters 7 and 11 bankruptcy
- Potential franchisor issues
What's the temperature out there? What does lending look like in a Post-COVID-19 world? Join Rick and John Hamburger, president of Franchise Times Corp. to discuss these questions and more.
Rick Ormsby and Derek Ball from the Unbridled Capital team are joined by Tim Ring, an expert in Franchise Law, to discuss the CARES Act and the traps and provisions of PPP loan forgiveness.
Rick Ormsby is joined by Allan Kanner, a Harvard-trained lawyer and expert in the fields of complex litigation and consumer fraud, to discuss business interruption insurance and protecting your franchise investment amidst COVID-19.
Rick Ormsby is joined by Mike James and Reed Melillo of James Capital Advisors (JCA) to discuss how COVID-19 has changed franchise M&A and real estate acquisitions and divestitures. Find video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAua4sgcco0
Update from Franchise Times Franchise Review of Select QSR Brands and Emerging Concepts FT Deal Maker of the Year Award Winners
Coronavirus Update and Assurance from Unbridled Capital Optimizing the Franchise Sale New Team Announcements
January Sales and Seasonality Update Papa John's Momentum Minimum Wage Update Sonic Drive-In Discussion KFC Convention Wrap-Up Importance of Recognition
- Yum Acquires The Habit
- History of M&A at Yum
- Thoughts on Krystal Bankruptcy
- What to Expect in 2020 for Restaurant Sales and Profits?
- Jay Rutherford Announced as Unbridled COO
- Recent KFC and Burger King Closing
- Arbitrage in buying and selling franchises
- Passive income from 1031 exchanges on franchise real estate
- Papa John's and Pizza Hut Q4 Commentary
- Restaurant Menu Innovation and Election Year Sales in 2020
- Unbridled Year-End Deal Closings
- Franchising as the American Dream
- How to Attract a Family-Office to Your Franchise Deal
- Observations from the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference
- Recent Unbridled Deal Closings in KFC, Taco Bell and Papa John's
10 Reasons Why Franchisees Shouldn't Delay Their Decision to Sell their Franchise Businesses
- Pizza competition & the dropping 10-yr
- Commodity costs & Fitness brand growth
- Understanding franchisors' motivations
- Why Are So Many People Selling?
- Domino’s Sales Growth Disappoints
- Essential Guidelines for PE Buyers in Franchise Deals
- June Restaurant Sales and Transactions Update
- Low Treasury Bills Mean Higher Real Estate Prices
- Boston Market Closes 10% of Locations
- Franchise Lending Platforms Close Down
- Unbridled Has Historic Closing Percentage
- May Restaurant Sales and Transactions Update
- Fast Food Performs Well in Hard Times
- Pizza Hut Seeks to Regain Lost Market-share
- Continued Concerns with Third-Party Delivery
- KFC New Product Innovation
- Tension in M&A Transactions - Franchisors and Franchisees
- Drive-thru’s Outpacing Dining Room Sales
- Taco Bell Ramps Up International Development
- Advisor Profile: Tyler Carter at Unbridled Capital
- Higher Valuations Seen in Tier 2 & 3 Brands
- Competition from C-Stores for Restaurant Customers
- Whataburger is Possibly Selling a Stake
- Over-saturation of Fast-Casual Restaurants
- Sales Momentum and Menu Innovation
- Review from the Annual Pizza Hut Convention
- Q1 Restaurant Same Store Sales Update
- Preparing to Sell a Franchise Business
- How to Build a Franchise Business
- Unbridled’s Mid-Year Franchise M&A Update
- Bessemer Investment Partners Buys 73 Taco Bells in Houston
- Restaurant Sales Are Up in March; Traffic Still Lagging
- Impact Seen in Restaurants When Wage Hikes Occur
- It is Derby Week – Unbridled Wins the 1990 Kentucky Derby
- McDonald’s Will No Longer Fight Minimum Wage Legislation
- SPACs Used for Restaurant Acquisitions
- Papa Murphy’s Sold to MTY Food Group
- New Leadership at CKE Restaurants
- GPS Hospitality Enters the Pizza Hut System
- Buffalo Wild Wings tries to regain momentum
- Restaurant lenders have fewer deals in the marketplace
- February sales and traffic update for restaurants
- Quick comments on Moe’s Southwest Grill
- Update from the Taco Bell Franchise Forum in Palm Springs
- Delay Franchising Until the Model is Proven
- Huge Merger Creates Burger King 1,000 Lb. Gorilla
- Papa John’s Secures $200MM from Starboard Value LP
- A Day w David Novak, Former Yum CEO, oGo Lead Founder
- January restaurant comps post a strong +2% on lower traffic
- Unbridled provides advisory to 82-unit Pizza Hut franchisee
- Highlights from the Annual KFC Convention in Orlando
- Planet Fitness Brand Discussion, Valuation and Outlook
- Brand Affinities for Gen Z Consumers
- Skepticism of Third-Party Delivery Platforms
- Question of the Week: What to Expect for Commodity Costs
- Q4 Restaurant Comp Sales Update
- Valuation update for 2019: EBITDA and Cap Rates
- Restaurant Unit Count is Dropping
- Question of the Week: What does Unbridled Capital do?
In this episode, we discuss: 1. Sales and traffic outlook for restaurants, 2. Restaurant financing update from the RFDC Conference, 3. Franchisor takeovers and rumors continue their feverish pace and 4. What would you say to convince a franchisor to refranchise their restaurants?
The Restaurant Boiler Room is a one-stop-shop for multi-million dollar merger and acquisition activity and financial complexities affecting the franchise restaurant industry. We talk money, deals, valuations and risk – delivered to the front door of franchisees, private equity firms, family offices, large investors and franchisors on an every-other-week basis. Feel free to find our content at Unbridled Capital’s website at www.unbridledcapital.com
The Restaurant Boiler Room is a one-stop-shop for multi-million dollar merger and acquisition activity and financial complexities affecting the franchise restaurant industry. We talk money, deals, valuations and risk – delivered to the front door of franchisees, private equity firms, family offices, large investors and franchisors on an every-other-week basis. Feel free to find our content at Unbridled Capital’s website at www.unbridledcapital.com
The Restaurant Boiler Room is a one-stop-shop for multi-million dollar merger and acquisition activity and financial complexities affecting the franchise restaurant industry. We talk money, deals, valuations and risk – delivered to the front door of franchisees, private equity firms, family offices, large investors and franchisors on an every-other-week basis. Feel free to find our content at Unbridled Capital’s website at www.unbridledcapital.com
The Restaurant Boiler Room is a one-stop-shop for multi-million dollar merger and acquisition activity and financial complexities affecting the franchise restaurant industry. We talk money, deals, valuations and risk – delivered to the front door of franchisees, private equity firms, family offices, large investors and franchisors on an every-other-week basis. Feel free to find our content at Unbridled Capital’s website at www.unbridledcapital.com
The Restaurant Boiler Room is a one-stop-shop for multi-million dollar merger and acquisition activity and financial complexities affecting the franchise restaurant industry. We talk money, deals, valuations and risk – delivered to the front door of franchisees, private equity firms, family offices, large investors and franchisors on an every-other-week basis. Feel free to find our content at Unbridled Capital’s website at www.unbridledcapital.com
The Restaurant Boiler Room is a one-stop-shop for multi-million dollar merger and acquisition activity and financial complexities affecting the franchise restaurant industry. We talk money, deals, valuations and risk – delivered to the front door of franchisees, private equity firms, family offices, large investors and franchisors on an every-other-week basis. It is unlike any other restaurant or franchise podcast.