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Friends of Branded!?

Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week

We’re in the final stretch of 2023 and while I expect things will quiet down as people start their holiday break, it continues to be busy here at Branded.

Last week I attended the Q4 board meeting of an asset management firm I’ve known and worked with for about the last 15 years. In connection with a new fund this platform is advancing, a comment was made about the nature of the "strategic investors" that were dominating the order book.

It was the word “strategic” that caught my attention and had me dig into what this type of investor meant to a later-stage investor than Branded.

First, I wonder how many investors feel the word “strategic” belongs next to their name. My searches for the definition of a “strategic investor” led me to many places, but universally, I believe the definition can be stated as an investor that provides guidance for growth & success, along with industry knowledge & connections that may greatly benefit your growing company.”

The most common thing I saw in connection with the definition of a "strategic investor" was that this is an investor that brings “more than just a check to the table.” Here again, I wonder how many investors want to be known as the folks that are “just bringing a check to the table.”

One definition I found made the argument that a strategic investor is usually a larger company and to that, my Branded sensibilities were offended (okay, only a little)!

I’m not suggesting that I don’t agree that the super vast majority of "strategic investors" we're fortunate to work with are in fact large companies, but I don’t want anyone to exclude Branded and the many other smaller "strategic investors" who we see doing amazing things in the industry from this category solely as a result of our size.

My point here is simply this, whether the business is a large fund manager working on later-stage opportunities, or a small manager working on early-stage and specifically emerging tech & innovation in the hospitality industry, there’s no question, “strategic investors” are the most desired and possibly the most active investors in the market right now....

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In this week's episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” are joined by?Prakash Karamchandani, Chief Executive Officer of?Balance Pan-Asian Grille;?Chris Medhurst, President and Chief Operating Officer of?District Taco; and?Chad Coulter, Founder and CEO of?Biscuit Belly.

You can tune in on?Spotify,?Apple,?Amazon,?iHeart, or your favorite listening platform!

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Check out this week's Shout Out HERE!

This week's winner of the WITW is Branded is ...

Click here to see who won!

Who made the B List?

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TODAY'S TRIVIA

What percentage of diners have recorded or photographed a meal at a restaurant?

Click here to see the answer!

TECHNOLOGY

The Tech Conundrum: Debunking the Assumption that Restaurants Can Thrive Without Technology

By: Steven Elinson, Director, AWS for Travel & Hospitality

I am frequently asked about the Buy vs Build decision that each brand must make (IE they all need technology). I always reflect back to the opportunities I had to directly interact with Dave Thomas (Wendy’s founder), Fred DeLuca (Subway founder), and George Biel (Houston’s/Hillstone founder) and how they would approach the application of technology into their beloved hospitality businesses.

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BUSINESS

Your Human Network: Essential on Many Levels

By:?Seth Temko, Solutions Services Partner at Branded Hospitality Ventures

You will encounter roadblocks, impasses, struggles, and challenges in your personal and professional life. Is your network of contacts who could possibly help you fresh enough that you would feel comfortable reaching out for help?

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FINANCE

Beyond the Check: VCs Prepare for a Pivotal 2024

By:?Julia Suchocki, Partner at Branded Hospitality Ventures

Venture Capitalists are ushering in 2024 with strategic shifts and a hands-on approach beyond traditional funding

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Restaurant Industry Movers in the Market

—Data as of 12/15/23

MARKETING

Turn Your Restaurant Marketing ON FIRE!!

By: Rev Ciancio, Head of Revenue Marketing at Branded Hospitality Ventures

Presenting The 2024 Digital Restaurant Association (DRA) Restaurant Marketing Summit, Powered by Branded!!!

Learn More Here

IN THE NEWS

Hospitality Tech and F&B Innovation IN THE NEWS:

We love to highlight Food Service & Hospitality news, especially when it’s Partners & Friends making it

• Cut + Dry: Cut+Dry Launches Groundbreaking Middleware Platform, Seamlessly Integrating with Any ERP and Backend System in Collaboration with WSO2 – The World’s Largest Middleware Bus Platform
• Brizo FoodMetrics: Maximizing Business Growth with Restaurant Data Leads
• Ovation: Exploring Mental Health and Leadership in the Workplace With Dan Simons
• Lunchbox: The State of Restaurant Digital Payments in 2024 + 10 Expert Tips on How To Negotiate Credit Card Processing Rates
• Leasecake: Leasecake + Restaurant365 Integration: No Fuss Finance
• Incentivio: Effective and Efficient Restaurant Marketing
• Incentivio: Mastering Digital Reputation Management in the Restaurant Industry
• Meez: Menu Engineering: How to Increase Restaurant Profits in 2024
• Picnic: Rebel Robots: Dining Hall Pizza Goes High-Tech at Ole Miss

And in other News…please see some of the stories that caught our attention and that we’re paying attention to. This week was loaded with headlines and news!!

• Fast Company: Map: 18 cities that led the way for new restaurant openings in 2023
• Inc: McDonald's Just Made a Huge Announcement. It Could Mean Big Trouble for Starbucks
• Entrepreneur: Kraft Heinz is a savory recipe for market success
• Business Insider: Pollo Campero wants to be the next chicken sensation in the US. The chain's vast menu is a mashup of the best at Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and El Pollo Loco.
• The Wall Street Journal: Choice Hotels Launches Hostile Bid for Wyndham
• QSR Magazine: 20 Digital Disruptors Pushing the Restaurant Industry Forward
• Restaurant Business Online: Shake Shack's C-suite will look different for the next phase of growth
• Bloomberg: An AI Chatbot Will Take Your Order at More Wendy's Drive-Thrus
• Restaurant Business Online: Grubhub reveals the most popular takeout and delivery orders of 2023
• Men's Journal: Doritos Unveils Nacho Cheese-Flavored Liquor, and It Isn't Cheap
• Fast Company: Chipotle is investing in companies that make robots and fertilizer from artificial lightning

That’s it for today!

See you next week, (about the) same bat-time, same bat-channel.

It takes a village!

Jimmy Frisch & Julia Suchocki

Branded Hospitality Ventures

[email protected] & [email protected]

235 Park Ave South, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10003

Branded Hospitality Ventures ("Branded") is an investment and advisory platform at the intersection of food service, technology, innovation and capital. As experienced hospitality owners and operators, Branded brings value to its portfolio companies through investment, strategic counsel, and its deep industry expertise and connections.

Learn more about Branded here: Branded At-A-Glance December 2023