Red Lobster first opened in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968 and was acquired by the food conglomerate General Mills in 1970. General Mills then spun the chain off in 1995 along with the rest of its restaurant division, which also included Olive Garden, as Darden Restaurants. In 2014, amid flagging sales and pressure from investors, Darden sold Red Lobster for $2.1 billion to Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco private-equity firm.
To raise enough cash to make the deal happen, Golden Gate sold off Red Lobster’s real estate to another entity — in this case, a company called American Realty Capital Properties — and then immediately leased the restaurants back. The next year, Red Lobster bought back some sites, but many of its restaurants were suddenly strapped with added rent expenses. Even if Darden had kept Red Lobster, it’s not clear it would have taken a different route: A press release from the time says it had contacted buyers to explore such a transaction. But in Maze’s view, the sale of the real estate was sort of an original sin for Red Lobster’s current troubles. He compared it to throwing out a spare parachute — chances are, you’ll be OK, but if the first parachute fails, you’re in deep trouble.
First thing private equity does is sell the property, whether the business is a LTC home or a restaurant chain.
Fuck private equity. I hope every one of those bastards rots in hell where they belong.
“I’m opposed to racists, race baiters and victim politics,” Schriver told The Detroit News. “What I find strange is the agenda to demoralize and reduce the white portion of our population.”
Denies being a racist then says racist shit. This one is dumber than a bag of rocks.
It annoys me to no end that real-life whistleblowers end up in jail, have to emmigrate or die under mysterious circumstances, but fictional whistleblowers are cheered on in theatres and novels.
It’s like America has a severe case of cognitive dissonance that the world sees, but is happy to stay that way no matter the cost.
Since almost 50% of Gaza’s pre-war population were kids, I’d say at least 50% of the deaths were kids as well. Seeing as … you know … the IDF can’t tell the difference between adults and children. 🙄
One item buried in the 887-page blueprint has attracted little attention thus far, but would have a monumental impact on the health of America’s seniors and the future of one of America’s most popular social programs: a call to “make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment option” for people who are newly eligible for Medicare.
Such a policy would hasten the end of the traditional Medicare program, as well as its foundational premise: that seniors can go to any doctor or provider they choose. The change would be a boon for private health insurers — which generate massive profits and growing portions of their revenues from Medicare Advantage plans — and further consolidate corporate control over the United States health care system.
Killing off old people first, then gradually hitting everyone else … except ofc the wealthy.
I wonder if any rich people have thought about who’s gonna take out the garbage and cook for them when the working class is gone?
Brandon Clay Dotson met a similar fate as Fredrick Bishop. Dotson, 43, was found dead at Ventress Correctional Facility on November 16 – the same day as his parole hearing.
He, too, was denied.
Dotson died in prison, and his body was eventually returned to his family following an autopsy at the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. His family later discovered he had been returned without a heart.
Gotta wonder if there isn’t a link here between denying releases and selling body parts.
You think too small, which is a problem. Just because you don’t live next to a massive pollution-pumping manufacturer doesn’t mean many others don’t.
Start thinking of your community in relation to all the communities in your city/state/nation/world. Then you may understand what evil NIMBYism really is.