Ascentium Capital Blog

In March of 2020, restaurant sales plummeted after in-person dining was severely restricted. Fast forward a few weeks, and a new trend emerged illustrated by long drive-thru lines wrapped around fast-food locations, drive-thru lanes became the superstar, helping fast-food chains' sales rebound faster than those of full-service restaurants. In 2020, drive-thru visits grew by 27% in the third quarter and represented 44% of off-premises orders across the restaurant industry, according to the NPD Group. The drive-thru has evolved into the centerpiece of the fast-food industry. QSR businesses have been eager and wise to employ strategies that leverage this advantage as consumers flock to drive-thru lanes. (Read More...)

When was the last time you stopped into your local bakery or patisserie and thought about anything but the coffee you crave or the incredible scents of the sweets on display? There’s a lot of expensive machinery that goes into running a high-end bakery from coffee and cappuccino makers to commercial grade ovens and mixers and other specialty equipment. With this expensive equipment, and the cost of potential replacements or expansion upgrades, a baker could get burnt without the right lender. (Read More...)